Direct Relief surpasses $100 for Puerto Rico since hurricane Maria
SANTA BARBARA, USA — Twenty-five Puerto Rican healthcare nonprofits are set to receive a much-needed $8 million cash infusion from Direct Relief, the largest private, non-governmental provider of health resources to Puerto Rico since hurricane Maria.
Recipients of the $8 million in grants will be announced on Wednesday, August 7, at La Ciudad de la Salud y Bienestar, a Direct Relief-sponsored event in San Juan that brings together healthcare leaders, local non-profits and businesses to identify challenges following hurricane Maria and reaffirm a shared commitment to improving health for people in Puerto Rico. The event includes a health fair comprised of more than 20 healthcare providers offering a variety of medical services, free of charge, for up to 3,000 people.
The $8 million in funding from Direct Relief follows contributions of more than $73.6 million in requested medical materials and $18.7 million in cash for a range of initiatives aimed at bolstering Puerto Rico’s health sector in the wake of hurricane Maria, including:
Powering health, medical refrigeration
For months after Maria, health facilities across Puerto Rico lacked reliable power. No electricity meant no refrigeration for temperature-sensitive vaccines or insulin, no electrical-powered medical equipment, and, in many cases, no running water. A lack of power meant a lack of health services.
Read more: https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2019/08/02/direct-relief-surpasses-100-for-puerto-rico-since-hurricane-maria/