A little more than 12 months ago, Cubro began forming several relationships with various charities and organisations to ensure that any discontinued equipment could be put to better use.
One such organisation is Take My Hands, a foundation that collates and then ships used medical equipment to those in need throughout the Asia Pacific. Since its formation, Take My Hands estimates it has sent more than 94,000kgs of usable equipment to more than 280,000 people across 15 countries*.
For Cubro, donating used equipment through organisations like Take My Hands is a win-win situation, says Cubro’s Business Development Manager, Jason Clare.
“We have an ongoing commitment to developing a sustainable business strategy, so we wanted to find a use for discontinued stock that is still in good working order. Instead of being destined for recycling centres we can see it genuinely helping others in need,” he says.
Aside from working with Take My Hands, Cubro has also recently sent used equipment through to the Cook Islands to support hospitals and health centres in Rarotonga, Aitutaki and the outer islands.
Margot Andrew, a physiotherapist from the Howick Baptist Hospital, has been involved with Aitutaki Hospital for several years. In earlier years, she was approached by then Secretary of Health, Elizabeth Iro, to visit the Island of Aitutaki.
“I was impressed by the hard-working staff doing such a lot with so little. Their positive attitude is amazing – there is even a hospital vegetable garden for the patients,” she says.
With just 22 beds, Aitutaki Hospital is a ‘one size fits all’ facility that serves the 2,000 people that live on the island, meaning its numbers can often fluctuate. It has a wide range of services and covers everything from general outpatients, medical, surgical, paediatric, pharmaceutical, dentistry and maternity units.
Cubro has so far supplied chairs, trolleys and cushions to the hospital. A bariatric bed and mattress were also kindly sent through the Harbour Hospice team in Auckland’s North Shore.
“We were extremely grateful for the nurse’s trolleys that Cubro donated, they were put to great use everywhere including the children’s ward. They are wonderful for the Island because they are so versatile and won’t rust,” says Margot.
Secretary of Health in the Cook Islands, Dr Josephine Herman is pleased with the partnership, “We appreciate the equipment Cubro has donated to the Cook Islands Ministry of Health. Such equipment has been important to help make our patient’s stay in our hospitals and health centres more comfortable.”
As Jason explains it is “feel-good” stories like this that means Cubro looks forward to donating its used equipment. “We remain committed to reducing our environmental footprint and supporting these causes as much as we can.”
*source: Take My Hands Organisation – takemyhands.org