WORLDSCOPES HELPS FIRST GENERATION OF SOUTH SUDAN DOCTORS
AMA Foundation initiative sends stethoscopes to those in need around the world
CHICAGO - Dec. 7, 2011 - The AMA Foundation today released a video featuring the contributions made by its WorldScopes initiative to medical students struggling to become the first generation of doctors in the newly formed country of South Sudan.
WorldScopes is a global, philanthropic initiative that works with leading humanitarian organizations to collect and distribute stethoscopes to health care professionals who don't have access to this basic medical instrument. WorldScopes has placed stethoscopes into the hands of physicians fighting the effects of natural disasters and health scourges in 53 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
In late 2011, WorldScopes donated 150 stethoscopes to medical students at Juba University in South Sudan with the help of Thomas Burke, M.D., director of the Division of Global Health and Human Rights at Massachusetts General Hospital. The newly released video features a testimonial from Chol Makur, a former South Sudanese soldier-turned-medical student, offering a first-hand account of WorldScopes’ global reach and contribution to those in need.
“The medical pioneers in South Sudan take on daunting health care challenges, and the stethoscope is among their most valuable patient care tools,” said AMA President Peter W. Carmel, M.D. “There are still many physicians around the globe who must attend to the sick and suffering without this basic diagnostic tool. During this special time of the year, the AMA Foundation is asking everyone to join physicians in extending goodwill to the far corners of the world with the gift of a stethoscope.”
The WorldScopes website makes it easy to donate stethoscopes or contribute financially to the program. All tax-deductible monetary donations go directly to the purchase of new stethoscopes, and the AMA will cover the shipping costs of donations of 20 stethoscopes or more. Information on how to organize a collection drive is also available on the site.
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Screen shot from WorldScopes video
Media Contact:
Robert J. Mills
AMA Media Relations
(312) 464-5970
robert.mills@ama-assn.org
About the AMA Foundation
The AMA Foundation is improving the health of Americans through philanthropic support of quality programs in public health and medical education. Follow the AMA Foundation on Facebook.
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