Doc to Dock

Doc to Dock is a Brooklyn, New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that sends donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics in Africa and Haiti. It was founded in 2005 by cardiologist and medical professor Bruce Charash.

Thousands of tons of medical supplies are discarded in the United States every day. This occurs largely because U.S. government regulations force hospitals to discard any unused medical supplies in an opened outer package, even if the remaining items are individually wrapped and sterile. These supplies are either incinerated or deposited in landfills. Meanwhile, in developing nations, thousands of patients are turned away from hospitals and medical centers due to a lack of supplies. Charash created Doc to Dock to rectify this imbalance. The organization also benefits the U.S. environment by reducing the strain on landfills.

Doc to Dock was born as the result of an appeal made by former U.S. president Bill Clinton at the first summit meeting of the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative in late 2005. The corporate, political, and other leaders who make up the Initiative’s membership are required to commit to projects that benefit humankind and to report on their progress each year. Charash conceived of his commitment at the inaugural meeting and founded Doc to Dock soon afterward.

The organization accepts almost any type of medical supplies, including catheters, IV lines, and walkers. It also accepts capital equipment such as ultrasound machines and operating tables. It works with a number of hospitals, mainly in the U.S. Northeast, that place recycling bins in operating rooms and other areas. Doc to Dock also accepts donations from pharmaceutical and medical product companies, as well as from individual donors. For example, some individuals who have purchased hospital beds for home use have donated them once they are no longer needed.

After sorting the supplies and testing the equipment, volunteers store the materials in warehouses. They ship supplies only when specific requests are made, and the materials go directly to the recipient hospital or clinic. It costs about $25,000 to ship a 40-foot container containing supplies with an average wholesale value of $500,000. Doc to Dock depends on financial donations and grants to fund such shipments. Recipient institutions have included hospitals and clinics in Haiti, Senegal,Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Uganda,Malawi, Mali, and Ghana.

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