WLKY – SOS International In Louisville Turning Medical Surplus Into Life-Saving Supplies

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Each year, American medical providers end up with nearly 6 million tons of medical surplus.

Often, that surplus ends up in a landfill. The Irish Hill nonprofit SOS International is seeking to reduce that number and do some good at the same time. While they cannot take all of it, the president and CEO of the organization, Denise Sears, says they take in an epic amount of medical surplus.

“We generally bring in over half a million pounds per year,” Sears said. “That includes the supplies and the equipment.”

Since its founding in 1993, SOS has distributed supplies to 108 countries worldwide. Sears has witnessed the impact of those supplies, which can be seen in real time.

“I just got back from Ghana, where I met a mom and baby who were saved because we just opened an operating room — the first one in the entire region, which serves 74,000 people,” Sears said. “They were able to save the mom and baby with an emergency c-section the night before.”

Full Article – SOS International in Louisville turning medical surplus into life-saving supplies