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The Blood Alliance's Bloodmobile To Become Health Clinic In Haiti

The Blood Alliance
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Jacksonville’s Blood Alliance is retiring one of its Bloodmobiles, but it’s not being put out to pasture. It will keep pumping… in Haiti.

The Blood Alliance is giving a Bloodmobile, a gift worth $230,000, to a group called Zanmi Lasante where it will be used as a mobile Health Clinic serving more than three million people.

Odette Struys of The Blood Alliance says an air-conditioned mobile clinic can help Zanmi Lasante Haiti reach more patients.

“Access has been their challenge,” says Struys. “They’ve had to find space in schools and churches. Whereas with the mobile health clinic, they’ll have space on our bus to see patients and have better access by driving directly to rural communities.”

Two Rotary clubs in Jacksonville supported the initiative. 

Zanmi Lasante has served Haiti for more than 25 years to strengthen the country’s public health system.

Crowley Maritime donated the shipping of the bloodmobile, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.

Michelle Corum joined WJCT as "Morning Edition" host in 2012 and has worked in public broadcasting as an announcer and reporter for public radio stations in Lawrence, Kansas, and Interlochen, Michigan. She also manages WJCT's Radio Reading Service for sight-impaired listeners.