TMI Partners with The GWC Group in Ecuador
(Pilot Emergency Medical Services program in Ecuador to provide equipment and training)
July 12, 2009 – Trek Medics International (TMI) has entered into a strategic partnership with George W. Contreras of The GWC Group to provide essential ambulance equipment to emergency first responders in Portoviejo, Ecuador.
This past May, TMI was contacted by George Contreras, (President and Founder of The GWC Group), to discuss providing urgently needed medical equipment to emergency first responders working in Portoviejo, Ecuador. Contreras, who also currently works as a paramedic in New York City, and is a former Director of Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management, had earlier succeeded in sending a fully-functional ambulance to his counterparts in Portoviejo, courtesy of New York Downtown Hospital. While the donation of the ambulance has assuredly improved the prehospital services available in Portoviejo, there still remained a significant need to outfit the ambulance with additional equipment in order to help provide the best prehospital emergency medical services possible, including an EKG monitor with defibrillation capabilities. Contreras noted, “Adequate and structured prehospital care for the citizens of Portoviejo was non-existent prior to this EMS pilot project. The support of the local government, such as the Mayor of Portoviejo, and other community organizations, such as the local Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce, were vital to the initial success of this project.”
The greatest equipment need, however, also proved to be the most expensive. But thanks to the generosity extended by American Medical Response – San Diego, TMI was able to acquire two fully-operational LifePak 10 EKG monitors with adult/pediatric defibrillation and pacing capabilities. Mike Murphy, General Manager of American Medical Response – San Diego, was eager to get involved, saying, “We’re proud to be in a position where we can assist organizations that reach out to improve the quality of life and healthcare of international communities, and donating equipment is just one way AMR can give back to these communities and encourage social responsibility.”
With the EKG monitors ready to be shipped, there still remained the task of acquiring a Spanish language version of the operator’s manual for the now-discontinued LifePak 10. Fortunately, the Customer Support Staff at Physio-Control (manufacturer of the LifePak EKG series) was able to provide TMI with the needed Spanish language copy on short notice.
While additional equipment is still needed to continue to equip and train the Portoviejo emergency first responders – including CPR manikins and AEDs – Contreras and TMI are confident that the acquisition of the EKG monitors will provide Portoviejo responders with greater life-saving capabilities for years to come. Contreras added, “The life-saving collaboration and support of TMI will be extremely valuable for the continued sustainability of this EMS project. The acquisition of these monitors will also allow for the transfer of critical cardiac patients to the larger city of Guayaquil, located about three hours from Portoviejo. In summary, these monitors will be used for the emergent and urgent care of Portoviejo citizens. In one way or another, these monitors can make the difference in the quality of medical care offered to these patients.”
To find out more about this project, or to get involved in others, send us an email at trekmedics@gmail.com
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