BETHESDA, Md., August 2, 2020 — Project HOPE, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) have teamed up to deliver critically needed protective gear and vital training to health workers on the COVID-19 front lines in the Dominican Republic, one of the worst-affected countries by the pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We are thrilled to partner with Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to provide lifesaving supplies and training to doctors, nurses and other health workers fighting to save lives in the Dominican Republic,” said Project HOPE President and CEO Rabih Torbay. “Not only will we deliver masks, gowns, gloves, and other gear, but we will also provide highly tailored training on COVID-19 triage and care for Dominican hospitals in areas hard hit by the virus.”
Melanie LeGrande, Vice President of Social Responsibility, Major League Baseball, said: “Baseball is an important part of the cultural fabric in the Dominican Republic, and the nation continues to give so much to our sport. In their time of need, MLB is proud to give back and join the Players, both current and retired, who are committed to supporting their country and its people. Project HOPE is on the ground helping those who are caring for communities and individuals affected by COVID-19.”
Leonor Colon, Senior Director International, and Domestic Player Operations, Major League Baseball Players Association said, “The Dominican Republic holds a special place in the hearts of Players and the Players Association, and we are proud to partner with Project HOPE to deliver protective gear and training to the country’s frontline health workers battling COVID-19.”
Among a population of over 10.5 million people, 56,040 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Dominican Republic to date, of which more than 1,000 have died. Dominican health workers are in need of additional supplies and support as case numbers continue to increase.
In partnership with MLB and the MLBPA, Project HOPE will deliver protective gear, medical supplies, and training to nine hospitals in eight hard-hit provinces in the Dominican Republic. Project HOPE will purchase protective facemasks, isolation gowns, exam gloves, and other critical medical supplies from its worldwide network of manufacturers for delivery to Dominican hospitals. In addition, Project HOPE will also provide COVID-19 training to health workers at the hospitals to help ensure they are better prepared to safely screen and treat patients. The training courses will be based on curriculum on prevention, triage, and treatment of COVID-19 developed by Project HOPE and the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies at the Watson Institute of Brown University that has been used to train more than 24,000 health and other frontline workers worldwide to date.
In addition to this support for the Dominican Republic, Project HOPE has provided critical training, supplies, and other support to frontline health workers in more than 65 countries since beginning its response in Wuhan, China, in January 2020. Project HOPE has delivered multi-day COVID-19 training to a total of more than 5 million surgical masks, nearly 2 million respirator masks, nearly 250,000 isolation gowns and lab coats, and nearly 325,000 pairs of exam gloves to countries including the United States, Ecuador, Colombia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Malawi. Project HOPE teams in Chicago and other hard-hit American cities are working to support local health officials with training, testing, and community outreach.
For more information on Project HOPE’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit www.projecthope.org.