DHL Global Forwarding has entered a pro bono logistics partnership with German NGO kinderherzen (children’s heart) to transport the world’s first mobile heart clinic for infants to various countries worldwide.
The initial destination for the mobile clinic has been El Salvador, where a team of international heart surgeons and medical professionals will provide free life-saving surgeries and therapies to infants affected by congenital heart diseases (CHD).
“This partnership underscores DHL’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian efforts,” stated Tim Scharwath, CEO DHL Global Forwarding. “By delivering vital healthcare to children in El Salvador and beyond, we are fulfilling our mission of connecting people and improving lives.”
DHL’s Global Humanitarian Logistics Center, located in Dubai, oversees the planning and management of logistics for kinderherzen. The shipment, comprising 11 containers, has been delivered via ocean and road freight from Bremen, Germany, to the Nacional Juan José Fernández hospital in the district of Zacamil in El Salvador. After a construction and installation phase of approximately 15 days, the mobile clinic will offer pediatric heart surgeries and medical care to infants from across the Middle American country who may not have access to adequate medical support otherwise.
“Our mission is to ensure that infants affected by CHD have access to life-saving surgeries and therapies, regardless of their place of birth. Partnering with DHL, one of the leading global logistics providers, will greatly assist us in fulfilling this mission,” said Dr Andreas E Urban, chairman of the board and founder of the NGO kinderherzen, pediatric cardiac surgeon.
The mobile clinic will remain in El Salvador until May 2024, after which it will be relocated to Burundi as part of an annual rotation to support kinderherzen’s global mission.