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FOW-USA provides ostomy related supplies to hospitals and clinics around the world. No fee is charged for these supplies. If your hospital or clinic is interested in applying for ostomy supplies from FOW-USA, please check the list below to confirm if you qualify:
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A qualifying recipient organization should be a hospital, clinic or ostomy association. We are not able to ship to individuals (although if you contact FOW-USA, we may be able to put you in contact with a local organization which can be of assistance). FOW-USA may provide ostomy supplies to religious groups with medical missions.
Recipients should not be in the United States or other countries with insurance or social services which are already set up to meet the supply needs of needy ostomates. FOW-USA does not compete with local government service organizations or equipment manufacturers if they are marketing their product to that country. Our mission is primarily to developing and underdeveloped countries without adequate medical/health safety nets where ostomy supplies are not readily available.
If we cannot communicate with a potential recipient in a prompt and reliable way, we cannot ship to that recipient. It is extremely important that FOW-USA and recipient organizations be able to communicate promptly and clearly when supply shipments are being prepared and especially when the shipments are en route to the receiving party. Postal mail is too slow, and international telephone communication is expensive (for both FOW-USA and the receiving organization) and often not readily available in some parts of the world. Consequently, recipients should have ready email access which is regularly checked, and recipients should also be able to communicate with our shipping consignees in the receiving country. Shipping can be a challenge to the areas where we send supplies and the receiving organization must take primary responsibility to coordinate with FOW-USA and the shipper when supply pallets reach their destination port of entry. Once the shipment has reached the receiving country, FOW-USA has very limited ability to monitor or guide the shipment to its final destination—the responsible person with the recipient organization must take over to coordinate the final delivery of the shipment.
Our small volunteer-based organization and volunteers have very limited ability to communicate in languages other than English. However, we do have access to local translation services. We can translate your written email communications and respond in your non-English language in most cases.
FOW-USA is a charity providing free medical supplies and does not pay duty or “expediting” fees or government taxes. The recipient organization is responsible for coordinating with local authorities to expedite the delivery and receipt of these charitable supplies.
The recipient organization should be able to unload the FOW-USA pallets and store them in a clean, secure, and temperate environment that will not degrade the supplies.
Recipient organizations may not charge the ostomates for the supplies they receive from FOW-USA, although minimal charges for delivery of services and to cover local expenses are acceptable. These supplies are freely offered by FOW-USA to recipient organizations and should be similarly provided free of charge to the end users of the products. In addition, ostomates receiving supplies may not be discriminated against on the basis of sex, race, political affiliation, religion or age, nor may they be required to listen to religious sermons as a pre-condition of receiving supplies. Supplies should be freely offered to needy ostomates with “no strings attached.”
The recipient organization should have staff that is knowledgeable about ostomy products and usage. FOW-USA does have some training materials available, on request, for those with only a moderate understanding of ostomy care. (Please specify whether the need for training materials is for the patient, caregiver, or both.)
1500 Arlington Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206-3177
info@fowusa.org
© Copyright 2006 FOW-USA
Federal Tax ID 34-1705116
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