• World Medical Relief, Inc. (WMR)
• 11745 Rosa Parks Boulevard
• Detroit, MI 48206-1270
• Phone: 313-866-5333
• Fax: 313-866-5588
• E-mail: info@worldmedicalrelief.org
• Web: www.worldmedicalrelief.org
• Contact: George Samson, President and C.E.O.

Since 1953, WMR has sent over one billion dollars worth of medicines and medical supplies to over 125 countries (over 15.4 million dollars worth in 2009). The medicines usually cost between two and four cents on the dollar (unless some have to be special-ordered). Even then, the price is usually much less than wholesale. WMR also fills 20 and 40-foot containers with medical goods and equipment (excluding medicines) for overseas shipments. A 40-foot container averages around 400,000 dollars worth of goods. They charge $7,500 for it.

Recently WMR became part of a new program called called Project My Heart-Your Heart. Founded by cardiologists at the University of Michigan, it seeks to collect used pacemakers and defibrillators so they can be sterilized and made available to patients in developing countries who otherwise might have a premature death because of heart problems. Typically a pacemaker or defribillator costs between 3,000 and 30,000 dollars and is buried with the deceased. Yet the devices may have a much longer span of usefulness. U. of M. willl take the devices, check them for practicality, and put them into sterile containers. The Michigan Funeral Directors Association also helps. WMR arranges for distributing the devices. Sometimes the devices can also be available when patients get an improved model. Newsweek had an article about this in 2009. This is the first program of its kind in the U.S. and probably worldwide. For more info: www.myheartyourheart.org