Rolled Bandages
On a Roll
Mission hospitals and rural clinics are the frontline for healthcare for millions of people across the globe. Most lack even the most basic supplies, including bandages, and many have little or no access to clean water. Sterilization is difficult and it can be a challenge to have enough clean bandages for daily patient care. GHM rolled bandages help meet that need. Although most often used for wound care, the bandages can be useful in other ways at hospitals and clinics where resources are scarce. GHM rolled bandages have been spotted holding an IV in place, and tying up broken surgical lights. By the end of 2023 GHM had sent almost 2,800,000 bandages to international partners - that’s more than 3,100 miles of bandages!
The “gizmos” that are used to roll bandages for GHM are generally made by volunteers who use a combination of scrap wood and bent wire coat hangers to craft the rollers (see our pattern on the Rolled Bandages Instructions sheet you can download above). In fact, the original template for this gizmo came from a volunteer who simply put his idea into action. The creativity has never stopped. One supporter in Iowa has added a drill - he says he wanted to be able to keep up with his wife’s rolling. Another has come up with a “college edition,” using a coffee mug, a straw and tape - things college students can always find -to craft something that works in his context.
