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AMRF is a non-profit organization under section
(501(c)3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and we are
also registered with the U.S. Agency For International
Development (U.S.A.I.D.).
AMRF donates refurbished but fully functional medical
equipment to non-military hospitals and clinics
serving poor people in developing nations. After a
shipment arrives at a recipient hospital, AMRF is prepared to offer technical
assistance by telephone, email, and FAX as a standard
feature of our AMRF shipments.
With advanced planning and under a separate
application/proposal process,
AMRF also offers technical assistance and
training onsite at recipient hospitals;
our qualified biomedical engineers and
technicians teach maintenance procedures and assist in
setting up maintenance and calibration facilities at
recipient institutions.
Onsite technical assistance is not a standard
feature of our equipment donation process and must be
arranged separately and in advance.
Please ask us about on-site training options
and AMRF would be glad to submit a proposal to you.
Although AMRF will donate medical equipment to your
hospital or clinic, we request a donation from your
hospital or sponsor to cover our costs in collecting,
testing, repairing (if needed), procuring any missing
components and accessories, insurance, ocean freight
forwarding and shipping equipment to you.
Once AMRF receives your donation deposit, we work
hard to locate your requested equipment but can not
guarantee that we will find all items or the
quantities which you have requested. Based upon the review of your application, we may also
suggest additional items for your use and would then
ask if you want these items.
Occasionally AMRF may require written
authorization via email or fax from you to allow AMRF
to secure certain equipment at donor locations, where
an expense is involved, before it is taken by others.
At the conclusion of our collecting and testing
process, we will send you an inventory list of
equipment and supplies for you to review and approve
in writing. Any
items that you do not want will be removed
from the proposed shipment.
Depending on availability, we may also gather medical
supplies, such as catheters, surgeon's gloves,
operating room set ups, crutches, and walkers.
Please let us know in advance if you do not
want these items. These items are light weight and would be loaded on top of
the medical equipment.
Generally, there is no additional donation
requested for
these items. They
will be listed on the inventory list we provide you as
described in the previous paragraph.
Generally our shipments are sent in ocean freight
containers to ports across the Globe.
There are two container sizes: 40 x 8 X 8 foot
container and 20 x 8 x8 foot ocean freight container.
AMRF recommends a 40 foot container because it
is the least costly per unit volume of equipment and
supplies shipped.
When we receive your initial donation deposit
for the proposed program, we will evaluate your
request and advise you on the number of containers
required to meet your needs.
Our experience is that a 20 foot container holds
equipment valued approximately at $US200,000 -
$US400,000 and a 40 foot container holds equipment
valued approximately at $US400,000-$US600,000, if
valued at today's replacement prices.
The value for Customs used in the inventory
lists you will receive before we ship is approximately
20% of this value reflecting depreciation.
Each program is a custom order and costs may vary
depending on such factors as the location of the
equipment (US land transportation costs to our testing
facility), the cost of de-installing the equipment
from a US donor facility, the purchase of new
equipment that could not be found via donations (these
purchases would be discussed with you),
the amount of testing and repair required, and
ocean freight transportation costs to your destination
port. The ocean freight transportation costs are determined
by our freight forwarder shortly before the actual
shipping date. You will find approximate donation
estimates for planning purposes shown below.
We request a 50% donation deposit in order
to activate our work on your behalf. When we have
completed your container(s), we will send you an
invoice of our actual costs, as well as the inventory
list. We
must receive the outstanding donation balance, plus
payment for the ocean freight transportation costs,
and your approval
of the equipment list,
within thirty (30) days before we can ship to
you.
Your failure to pay within 30 days after we
notify you may require us to cancel your shipment
being sent and we will keep your donation deposit to
cover expenses incurred by AMRF on your behalf.
We need to ship your equipment as soon as
possible after each container load is completed due to
space restrictions in our warehouse.
This is why we need your approval and the
balance of the funds within 30 days.
Your failure to pay on time impacts our ability
to start on new programs for people in need at other
hospitals.
Estimated
program donations:
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Ocean
Freight Container Size
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20
Foot
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40
Foot
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Estimated
Donation To Cover Program Costs
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Cost
to be determined by AMRF
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Cost
to be determined by AMRF
|
|
Required
Donation Deposit To activate AMRF Work
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Cost
to be determined by AMRF
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Cost
to be determined by AMRF
|
|
Ocean
Freight Transportation Costs - Range
|
Cost
to be determined by AMRF
|
Cost
to be determined by AMRF
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*As discussed above, the donation level may vary if
certain items can not be located as donations, if
certain donated items require technical
de-installation costs, or if certain items must be
purchased on the new equipment market.
These costs will be discussed with you for your
rejection or approval for AMRF to secure the
equipment. Your
timely response (either acceptance or rejection) is
important because high market demand for medical
equipment requires a quick response from AMRF on
purchasing and collecting decisions.
Ocean freight costs are determined shortly
before shipping date and will be listed on final
invoice, payable within 30 days, and must be paid in
full for your shipment to be sent.
When you send your donation to AMRF, please alert us
to your incoming funds by email, FAX, or telephone.
This is critical so that AMRF can match the incoming
funds to your account.
Funds can be sent to us by check or wire
transmittal. Please make sure that you include a
brief note clearly stating your program name.
CHECKS: Please send checks (payable to American Medical Resources
Foundation Inc.):
AMRF
P.O. Box 3609
36 Station Ave.
Brockton, MA 02304-3609, USA.
WIRE
TRANSMITTAL:
Please contact
us for wire transmittal instructions
The
following pages provide an overview of the process
from application to shipment preparation and donation
process, as well as some tips to aid your planning for
your shipment arrival.
Please read them now because some steps may
require action by you now.
If you have any questions, please contact us at
Email: amrf@amrf.com,
Tel: 1-508-580-3301,
or FAX 1-508-580-3306.
STEPS
TO INITIATE AND COMPLETE A PROGRAM:
1.
To
start a program, please complete the application
and following documents:
·
Application
with all questions answered, including the destination
port, Customs.
·
Inventory
List - please let us know of any equipment requests
not listed on form.
·
Release
From Liability Form
- please sign and return original
·
Intent
To Donate Form - please sign and return original
·
Initial
Donation Deposit
·
Your
government letter stating that the hospital is
tax-exempt or charitable and that no import duties
will be charged.
·
Please
identify the program sponsor and contact information
that will donate funds to cover the program costs.
2.
After the above steps are completed, AMRF will advise you to the
acceptability of your application, the recommended
container size, and the appropriate donation deposit
to cover our initial costs on your behalf.
Estimated donation levels are shown in the
table below and your actual ocean freight
transportation costs will be determined shortly by our
Freight Forwarder before shipping.
The final invoice reflects actual costs
incurred by AMRF on your behalf and ocean freight
transportation costs.
When you send your donation by check or wire
transmittal to AMRF, please let us know in advance by
telephone, fax, or email so that we may notify you
promptly if the check arrival or wire transfer does
not occur.
3. NON-US
CUSTOMS and NON-US HEALTH REGULATIONS: The recipient hospital or sponsor is responsible for
researching its country's importation, health, and
other relevant regulations to ensure compliance with
their country's requirements.
If needed,
AMRF can provide
a letter addressed to your country's Customs
Department confirming our charitable mission and
intent to donate medical goods to your hospital and
that such goods are not for resale. Generally the AMRF
donation does not provide for coverage of
non-U.S. Customs and non-U.S. Ministry of
Health inspection costs, registration costs,
translation costs of AMRF documents and manuals into
host country language, and other such fees.
Special requests must be identified early and
discussed with AMRF to determine AMRF's ability to
assist you if possible.
4. EQUIPMENT
COLLECTION, TESTING, INVENTORY LIST, PRE-SHIPPING.
As stated earlier, AMRF can not guarantee that it
will be able to locate every item or the quantities
requested. If
you request large quantities of specific items, such
as beds or examination tables, AMRF may suggest that
each shipment consist of a diversified load, rather
than a load of just one equipment item in large
quantities.
AMRF is prepared to accept items for shipment that
the recipient organization collects on its own. However, please notify AMRF in advance of any shipment to
AMRF facilities of such items so that AMRF may account
for them in the inventory system and packing lists.
Also please let AMRF know of special test and
inspection requirements for these items.
AMRF will perform inspection and tests within its
capabilities on donated equipment and supplies using
qualified engineers and technicians.
However, it shall be a condition of delivery by
AMRF and acceptance by the recipient that the
recipient shall assume all responsibility and
liability for equipment and supplies delivered to it
by AMRF and the subsequent use of the equipment and
supplies at the recipient hospital or clinic.
Please note that much equipment donated by U.S.
hospitals is designed to work at 115 VAC 60 Hz,
although more recent models are designed to work at
115 VAC - 230 VAC 50-60 Hz.
This equipment can generally operate
satisfactorily at 50 Hz, although AMRF has no way to
test at 50Hz. If your hospital works at 230VAC, please
advise us early if you wish for us to provide
transformers (at cost) for voltage transformation or
whether you will provide these at your facility. The frequency change has not proven to be a problem.
Approximately half way through our work on your
program, AMRF will notify you and send you a list of
the equipment and supplies collected as of that date
for your review and acceptance/or rejection.
The list will contain requested items, as well
as items we recommend.
The decision is yours, please let us know in
writing as soon as possible.
Any items rejected by you will be deleted from
your inventory.
AMRF will provide the recipient a detailed packing
list loaded for the shipment.
There can be small differences between the
final list and earlier lists because of last minute
substitutions by donor hospitals, non-availability of
equipment, or failure by equipment to pass AMRF
testing protocols. Depending upon export permits, AMRF and the recipient shall
agree together on whether AMRF or the recipient shall
apply for the permits, if required. It can be
determined at the time how costs associated with
export regulations, if any, shall be covered.
5.
PRE-LOADING VISIT TO AMRF WAREHOUSE FACILITY:
We invite you or your representatives to visit
our warehouse and test facilities in Brockton, MA,
USA, to observe the quality and types of equipment we
ship. Program applicants are also invited to inspect
their shipment before it is loaded into the container
and shipped, provided that arrangements are scheduled
well in advance of our final notification and invoice
of AMRF readiness to ship. Please let us know early if you will need a formal invitation
letter from AMRF
for your government's clearance for your visit
to the U.S.
6. YOUR
COMPLETION OF DONATION PROCESS, 30 Day Notice:
Please be prepared to have the balance of the funds
available to send to AMRF at the completion of the
program. It takes AMRF approximately 4 months to ready
a container for shipping.
Once completed, AMRF will send you a final
inventory list for your approval and an invoice for
the outstanding balance of costs incurred plus ocean
freight transportation costs.
We will need a donation to cover these costs
in full within thirty (30) days after we notify you
that AMRF is ready to ship.
If your donation is not received within the
thirty (30) days of our notice, your program will be
cancelled and we will be forced to keep your deposit
to cover the costs that we incurred on your behalf.
Due to our limited warehouse space, AMRF can
not make any exceptions to this policy.
We need to ship your equipment as soon as
possible after each container load is completed due to
space restrictions.
Your delay with payment impacts our ability to
start new programs for people in need at other
hospitals across the Globe.
Thank you in advance for your planning ahead
and cooperation.
When you do send your donation, please alert us
immediately to the incoming funds by
Telephone: 1-508-580-3301, email
amrf@amrf.com, or Fax 1-508-580-3306 so that
AMRF will match the incoming funds with the correct
AMRF program account.
CHECKS: Please send checks (payable to American Medical Resources
Foundation Inc.) to:
AMRF, P.O. Box 3609
36 Station Ave.
Brockton, MA 02304-3609, USA.
WIRE
TRANSMITTAL Call
for Info
7.
SHIPMENT ARRIVAL AT YOUR PORT: AMRF arranges ocean freight transportation for US port to
your destination port.
The recipient hospital is responsible for
arranging the land transportation of each container to
the hospital. AMRF
recommends strongly that each
container remains sealed and not opened until
it reaches the recipient hospital for unloading in
order to minimize possible damage and pilfering. Upon
receipt and inspection of your shipment, please
complete the questionnaire that we have sent you or
let us know by email at amrf@amrf.com. or by Fax
1-508-580-3306.
8. TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE and STAYING IN TOUCH: AMRF
appreciates receiving photographs, newspaper articles,
or video tape related to your use of AMRF-donated
equipment. AMRF wishes to form an ongoing relationship
with recipient hospitals and clinics to which we have
sent medical equipment.
During the installation of medical equipment at
the recipient hospital, AMRF can provide technical
assistance by telephone, Fax, and email, if needed. In
the future please also feel free to ask for technical
consultation in obtaining hard to find spare parts. We
enjoy staying in touch with our friends that we have
made over the years at hospitals in more than 74
countries.
Thank you for your interest and best wishes.
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