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Donate

****MEDIA ADVISORY***

VillageMD Team Members Sew to Give Preemie Babies in Gaza a Surviving Chance

“IncuPouch”™ newborn kits to be assembled by VillageMD volunteers and shipped by CMMB to the Middle East

WHAT:   A shipment of handmade IncuPouches, a low-cost, non-electric solution to mitigate heat loss and dehydration in pre-term and low-birthweight infants, will be packaged with other newborn care supplies by employees of VillageMD and shipped by the global health organization CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board) to the Middle East.

Many of the evacuating families fleeing the conflict zone include pregnant women. Their displacement from nearby hospitals and the dwindling fuel supply for generators in Gaza are threatening the survival of premature and vulnerable babies who would otherwise be in incubators. Around 130 newborns in intensive care are in imminent danger, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO estimates at least 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza are unable to access essential health services, and some 5,500 are due to give birth in the coming month.[1]

The IncuPouches were produced by VillageMD employees, many of whom are mothers themselves, over the past two weeks. Sewers and knitters from across the country volunteered their time to produce the IncuPouch™ garments and knit caps which will be packaged with other essential newborn care items. The 50 IncuPouch™ newborn kits, which will be assembled on Thurs., Nov. 9, will be distributed by CMMB local partner Anera to hospitals and health workers in Gaza as soon as humanitarian access is granted into the area. Hospital and health clinic staff will deliver the newborn kits to new mothers with at-risk preemie and low-birthweight babies.

The IncuPouch™ was created by MIT Alumna and Chicago-area resident Prasanga Lokuge, as a solution for helping premature and low-birthweight babies in low-resource settings around the globe thrive.  When worn correctly, the IncuPouch™ provides a neutral thermal environment for an infant in need of thermoregulation. A Vice President of Clinical Strategy for VillageMD, Lokuge’s innovation facilitates the administration of skin-to-skin care in a safe environment for low-birthweight and preterm infants, while leveraging the mother’s body heat to keep the infant warm. Skin-to-skin care, also known as “kangaroo care,” has proven to be extremely effective for protecting newborns from hypothermia and infections, while helping babies breastfeed on demand. The IncuPouch™ was tested in six countries:  Bolivia, India, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam. 

WHO:

Mary Beth Powers, CEO of CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board)

Prasanga Lokuge, VP of Clinical Strategy, VillageMD

Dr. Clive Fields, Co-founder, VillageMD

Volunteers from VillageMD

In-Studio Interview Opportunity: Prasanga Lokuge of VillageMD and Mary Beth Powers of CMMB are available for interviews in studio. Lokuge can show how the IncuPouch works for mothers while Powers can talk about their support and humanitarian relief efforts needed in Gaza.

WHERE:

Address available upon request

WHEN:

Thursday, Nov. 9
10am to 11am
“IncuPouch”™ newborn kit assembly

Thursday, Nov. 9 and Friday, Nov. 10
6am to 11am
In-studio interviews

###

Anera:  a non-governmental organization employing mostly national staff and providing emergency relief and development programs in the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon.  The organization has operated in the region for more than 50 years.

CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board): a faith-based global non-governmental organization, CMMB provides immediate and long-term medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and unequal access to healthcare. The organization also distributes medicines and medical supplies through local and national partners in challenging settings like the West Bank and Gaza, where it has worked together with Anera since 2000. Over the last 10 years, CMMB has distributed $5 billion worth of medicines and medical supplies to 83 countries across the globe.

VillageMD:  VillageMD provides high-quality, accessible health care services for individuals and communities across the United States, with primary, multispecialty, and urgent care providers serving patients in traditional practice settings, in patients’ homes and online.  Its dedicated workforce of more than 20,000 operates from more than 800 practice locations in 26 markets. The company’s Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program affords employees with paid time off annually to serve those in need.

Media Contacts:

VillageMD – Molly Lynch, media@villageMD.com

CMMB – Emma Pontillo, communications@cmmb.org


[1]World Health Organization

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