Waterbury Hospital has donated two ultrasound machines and other hospital equipment valued at more than $200,000 to help bring medical relief to overburdened hospitals in developing countries such as Guatamala, the Dominican Republic and earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

The equipment, some of which is more than 20 years old and has been replaced at Waterbury Hospital with more modern technology, will prove to be highly useful and beneficial to the hospitals which will be receiving it, said Jean Assobmo, a biomedical engineer for the American Medical Resources Foundation, the Massachusetts-based organization which accepted the donated equipment from Waterbury Hospital this week.

“We are very grateful to Waterbury Hospital for making this donation possible,” he said.

Assobmo said the equipment will be part of a shipment being sent to hospitals in the Dominican Republic and Guatamala next week. It’s also possible the equipment could be sent to Haiti, which is recovering from a devastating earthquake that has led to an intense demand for medical relief.

Frank Vensel, the Director of Clinical Engineering for Waterbury Hospital, said the two donated ultrasound machines are highly functional and efficient in treating a wide variety of health issues, including heart problems and troubled pregnancies.

“We could not be more pleased that these pieces of equipment will continue to be put to good use,” Vensel said.

Mary Prybylo, RN, the Chief Operating Officer at Waterbury Hospital, said the donations reflect the hospital’s mission to serve and treat people in medical distress, no matter where they are.

“This is a wonderful way to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.