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[It's become very clear in the world that a corporation has a responsibility]
[beyond mere profit-making because it has the ability,]
[it has a position in the world, and it has the capability and the resources of people ]
[and brain power to make a difference.]
[There is a part of the world where one corporation ]
[is making a significant difference in people's lives]
[by assisting communities that lack the most basic safeguards for human health]
[even in their clinics and hospitals.]
[and the part of the world where GE is helping considerably is rural Africa.]
[One of the things that really struck me was]
[[John Chessario-Global X-Ray Manger, GE Healthcare] just how little they had compared ]
[to what we would consider even acceptable in the U.S.]
[[Mike Barber-Chief Technology Officer, GE Healthcare] The infrastructure for electricity]
[is not like it is in a developed country, and so several times in a half a day, ]
[Most of these rural areas, they don't have clean water]
[[Tracy Allen-Senior Consultant, GE Healthcare] for babies, mothers, families.]
[There was really no purification whatsoever,]
[and any contamination of the well or the piping]
[[Paul Scheible-Project Engineer, GE Water & Process Technologies] could have]
[a devastating impact on the village or hospital.]
[Most of these clinics and hospitals have not had any ultrasound.]
[There is no fetal monitoring. There are no infant warmers.]
[You had people who really wanted to help people there,]
[and it was sad to see how little they had, and how just a little bit of equipment ]
[could really change their lives.]
[With all the wonderful technologies that GE has at its fingertips,]
[we can make a very large impact in people's lives.]
[The General Electric company has committed its considerable resources]
[towards solving these problems,]
[and making a positive impact on the lives of people in need.]
[Beginning in Africa with the GE signature program]
[Developing Health Globally [Developing Health Globally-GE in Africa]]
[We're truly taking the best of GE]
[--our technology, our products, our people and our knowledge--]
[[Bob Corcoran-Vice President, Corporate Citizenship] and trying to upgrade]
[and improve rural healthcare in Africa.]
[[Sheri Nepal-Product Donations Leader, GE Healthcare] It's about medical]
[water, energy, us together building a solution for these people in great need.]
[Volunteers from GE's healthcare, water and energy businesses]
[have travelled to African towns, villages, hospitals and clinics,]
[first in Ghana, and since in nearly a dozen other African countries.]
[They've met with local health officials,]
[assessed their needs and designed and delivered solutions that only GE could offer]
[to improve healthcare and in particular to reduce infant mortality.]
[These solutions include providing reliable sources of clean water]
[and continuous electrical power as well as much needed medical equipment.]
[The difference in healthcare before and after GE's arrival is remarkable]
[[Providing Safe, Clean Water] There's a piece of technology we built for the Ghana project]
[--it's a stand-alone water treatment unit--that you could literally drop ]
[in almost anywhere in the world and quickly have a reliable source of drinking water.]
[You can put basically any water you want into it]
[--the dirtiest source water you can come up with--]
[and this will reliably, day after day, prouduce a potable quality water ]
[with very little maintenance and very little down time. ]
[[Generating Reliable Continuous Electric Power]]
[As a result of GE donating generators, the hospital is able to run]
[24 hours, seven days a week regardless if there's rationing of power or not.]
[[Jeremiah Tiimob-Hospital Administrator] That one alone is a big relief to us.]
[We can carryout emergency surgeries at anytime]
[without any worry about power outage.]
[[Diagnostic Imaging, Monitoring and Surgical Theater Equpment]]
[We gave an x-ray machine and a printing device and the shielding]
[and all of the things that are really necessary to run an x-ray room.]
[They neede a black and white ultrasound machine.]
[They needed ventilators. They needed a baby warmer.]
[They needed refrigeration for vaccines.]
[They're giving them the products that they need]
[with the options that they need.]
[Equipment donations alone do not solve problems.]
[What separates GE's signature program, Developing Health Globally, ]
[[Sustainable Solutions for Quality Healthcare for the Long Term]]
[from other humanitarian efforts, is GE's ongoing support for the people]
[and facilities that use the donated equipment.]
[A standby generator for Kete Krachi Hospital, duly commissioned.]
[One of the things we really wanted to focus on was making it a sustainable gift.]
[A gift that is only working for a couple of months]
[is not really a gift at all.]
[The African American Forum, a group of GE professionals from across the company,]
[decided that they wanted to make sure that the impact ]
[of the equipment and services that were donated]
[was felt not just in the first month, not just in the first year, but for a long period of time.]
[With the donations, we've included training, maintenance, parts, warranty costs]
[but beyond that, the great thing that we've done in Africa]
[is used GE people to sponsor or partner with the hospital]
[for years after the hospital is completed.]
[It includes best practice sharing, knowledge sharing, coaching and mentoring,]
[looking at work flow processes, and helping the hospital identify ways]
[to make their operations more efficient,]
[[Krista Bauer-Director of Global Programs] effective and customer friendly.]
[We've never had that before.]
[[Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa-Director General, Ghana Health Services] ]
[I mean at best, you get some equipment.]
[If you're lucky, you get training on how to use the equipment, and that is it.]
[But with this, there's a partnership that we would treasure forever.]
[By drawing on the expertise and best practices of GE and its people]
[healthcare professionals in Africa are able to diagnose and treat patients]
[Hospitals run more efficiently, seeing more patients in less time.]
[The result: a significant improvement in the health and well being of the people they serve.]
[and that's brought more people out when they're ill and sick to go to the hospital.]
[They treat more and refer fewer, so it's been an overall success in virtually every case.]
[The impact of GE's efforts in Africa is felt far and wide]
[by medical staffs and their patients in rural African communities.]
[It is also felt by the GE volunteers who participated]
[especially members of GE's African American Forum]
[who were among the first group of GE volunteers to establish a foundation]
[for the long term success of these hospital projects.]
[Thank you very much. Thank you.]
[[Alex Canfor-Dumas-Project Manager, GE Healthcare] ]
[The people of Ghana are so appreciative.]
[Some of the most basic needs in healthcare are taken care of]
[as a result of this project.]
[[Charles Grant-Operations Manager, GE Energy Contractual Services] ]
[So I look into the eyes of the doctors, nurses and patients here]
[they feel the presence of GE in a very positive way.]
[When you have doctors who are standing in front of their new operating theater,]
[and you're looking forward with pride to the way they're going to serve their community]
[We are very happy with what we have brought in.]
[Everything is making a lot of impact.]
[I don't think it's a stretch to say that the work we've done so far in Africa does save lives.]
[[George Fynn-GE Water] It's a win-win for me personally as a Ghanian]
[and as a person that works for GE.]
[[Developing Health Globally-GE in Africa]]
[The GE signature program, Developing Health Globally, demonstrates that when ]
[a well-meaning company decides to put its resources to work to improve people's lives]
[it can do a lot of good for a lot of people [Making a Difference in the World]]
[What we've learned there is translating into new products]
[and new solutions and new ways to improve healthcare]
[for the whole rest of the globe.]
[It's great to be associated with the program.]
[Personally, it's good to be working for a company that can do this.]
[Being part of the Africa project was very rewarding for me,]
[and it really, I think, points to what a good corporate citizen GE is.]
[The great thing about a good corporate citizen is recognizing]
[not only that you have the ability to make change]
[and the ability to do things that are bigger and broader and better,]
[but you then feel that you have an obligation in your back pocket.]
[[Craig Beckman-Global Equipment Sales Manager, Water & Process Technolgy]]
[That we take some of that hard earned money]
[and use it for good in other places in the world]
[I think it says a lot about our company.]
[It shows that we're really a caring company.]
[Each person, each employee can make a difference.]
[This is a company that makes a difference.]
