A New Idea: Used Hospital Beds for Haiti

by 07/16/10 2 Comments

100 Beds for Haiti, a grassroots New York City charity, needs your help to deliver 30 more beds to one of Haiti's most deserving hospitals. Photo: Flickr/100 Beds for Haiti

One of the best private hospitals in Haiti needs beds. Nestled 70 miles north of Port-au-Prince in the lush village of Milot, Hospital Sacre Coeur now finds itself home to more than 500 earthquake casualties. Problem is, only a fraction of those has a place to sleep.

Six months after the earthquake killed 230,000 Haitians, turned 1 million homeless and left 2,000-6,000 disabled, many of Hospital Sacre Coeur’s patients sleep on cots and mats on the floor.

One New York 20-something is trying to change that. And she’s succeeding. Judith Kaine, a Columbia grad student, started 100 Beds for Haiti after hearing about the country’s devastating shortage of hospital equipment.

She’s since rounded up her friends and milked her connections to raise the cash to send 70 used hospital beds on a journey around the world to a place where they’re needed more than anywhere else.

The first shipment of 35, donated by two German hospitals, arrived at Hospital Sacre Coeur on July 7. The second shipment of 35, provided by another German hospital, is due on the doorsteps of the Haitian hospital at the end of July.

Raymond Delnatus, CFO of Hospital Sacre-Coeur, sent Judith a letter of thanks after receiving the first batch of beds:

“Long time ago I kept looking for the donor of those beds because this donation was one of the most important shipments that we have received during the earthquake … I do not know without those beds how the 598 victims and patients that we have received could have been treated.”

100 Beds for Haiti is now seeking donations so it can find and ship 30 more beds to a hospital that will happily accept the equipment that the developed world’s hospitals throw away. The cause is more than just good. It’s green.

You can donate right here right now, or if you live in New York City, attend 100 Beds for Haiti’s fundraising event on Friday, July 16.

Story by Sam Brand, originally published on July 15, 2010 on Tonic

Related articles
13,000 Emergency Shelter Kits Headed to Haiti
Rebuilding a Sustainable Haiti
Medical Supplies Are Crucial But Limited in Haitian Clinics

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Tonic

Tonic is a digital media company dedicated to promoting the good that happens around the world each day. We share the stories of people and organizations that are making a difference by inspiring good in themselves and others. At Tonic, we also see ourselves as a service company — one that strives not only to inspire our readers, but to equip them with the resources to make a difference.


  1. Ruth Agee Lind

    posted on January 31st, 2012 at 1:40 am

    How do I donate a hospital bed? It is like new. good condition
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.

Archived Comments

  1. Denise

    posted on September 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Lord knows there’s enough extra beds sitting around hospitals. It shouldn’t take long to reach your goal.

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