The D.C. Council voted unanimously Tuesday to allow health care facilities, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to donate unused drugs and medical supplies to Haiti.
The legislation also would let designated nonprofit organizations in D.C. distribute pharmaceutical products to the earthquake-torn country.
Health care facilities in the District often destroy unused medical supplies and nearly expired medication, said At-large Councilman David Catania, who sponsored the legislation.
“The donation of unused pharmaceutical products and medical supplies provides immediate access to medical relief and prevents waste of medicines and medical supplies that would be otherwise destroyed or returned to the manufacturer,” the legislation reads.
Catania also stressed the urgency of this act, saying that Haiti has long had one of the world’s poorest health care systems, a designation that was significantly exacerbated by the Jan. 12 earthquake, which killed an estimated 200,000.
The legislation is set to take effect when it is signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty, and will remain in effect for no longer than 90 days.
Also Tuesday, the council also approved a bill to give another $6 million to the troubled United Medical Center. The money would be given to the hospital in the form of a $3 million lump sum as well as additional monthly payments. This move comes just two years after the city pumped nearly $80 million into the overhauling the facility, but council members said they are committed to keeping the only hospital east of the Anacostia River financially solvent.
