Acquisition of Supplies, Equipment, Surgical Implants
The list of standard supplies, medicines and other equipment from the previous year is refined and submitted to vendors, donors and other suppliers. The approach is to ask for donations if possible and barring this, to seek the best price possible for each item.
Pre Mission Trip to Antigua, Guatemala and Patient Selection
The pre-trip takes place at the end of June. Approximately 80 patients with hip or knee joint disease are assessed and from these based on carefully reviewed histories and radiographs, 70 patients are selected to undergo total joint replacement surgery in November. Implant lists are developed and submitted based on patient selection.
Supply Shipment
Operation walk gathers and ships all supplies and equipment necessary for each mission. This includes virtually every item from scalpel blades to prosthesis to dressings and everything in between. The final step is to pack and prepare the mission supplies for shipping. This takes place from mid to the end of September. The cargo pick-up date is typically during the first week of October and comprises almost 400 cartons filling 13 to 18 pallets.
