Reuse and recycling practices in a Colombian hospital

Reuse and recycling of donated and purchased items can allow health care facilities in developing countries to remain financially viable and provide services to those who could not otherwise afford them. In one Bogotá, Colombia, hospital, surgical instrumentation professionals and other clinicians developed reuse and recycling protocols for the OR. Although not all of the practices described would be acceptable in the United States, these practices are a direct consequence of the impact of poverty on health care systems in a developing country.