Supply Needs of the Amazon Clinic
Priority: small tablet Multi-Vitamins with Iron. Items usually needed or at least usable by the clinic (and leftovers or excess can easily be distributed to other equally or more needy entities in the area): Antibiotics
IMPORTANT NOTE: Nothing outdated can be accepted; if brought into the country and discovered by Customs, anything
Anti-fungals, any sort (Diflucan especially)
expired will be confiscated; if gotten past Customs, I will have to discard such
Gloves, size medium and large (exam gloves)
Multivitamins WITH IRON, for adults, kids and/or babies
(small yellow tablets, not the big Centrum-type vitamins;
Benadryl , especially the syrup form for children
Non-sedating histamines (loratadine, cetirizine)
Notes and Comments Regarding the Clinic Wishlist
1) Please note again, that outdated medicines are PROHIBITED BY LAW. Given the
difficulties of storing medicines here, expiration dates as far in advance as possible are appreciated.
2) If you bring sample medicines, the easiest way by far to carry them is to take them out of
their individual packages. Samples come with an awful lot of container for a very small amount of medicine. Removing them from their bulky packages and consolidating them into a smaller container will make it much easier for you to transport them, will save me the effort of doing that here, and will not make it look as though you are bringing in a huge quantity of medical supplies when in fact you are bringing a modest amount.
Do remember to keep at least one of the little information sheets that come with the
medications -- new drugs come out all the time, and tourists occasionally bring me things that I cannot identify. The name, dosage (number of milligrams, etc.), and expiration date should all be included on the label you put on the bottle.
3) Clinic needs vary from time to time. Any of the items on this list is welcome, and if I get
overstocked I can easily find an entity nearby that can use the extras (the Regional Hospital, the medical center upriver at the town of Indiana, the midwife who has some training in medicine, have all benefited from the generosity of people like you). However, if you can contact me in advance of your arrival, I can give you a specific list of what would be most appreciated at that particular time.
4) On what you are allowed to bring in: basically, the law says that you are allowed to bring
what you (or your group) might reasonably be expected to use during your stay here, and they are fairly liberal about that. If you intend to bring boxes or suitcases with nothing in them but medical supplies, you should be aware that they may be confiscated in Lima, in order to have Customs duties charged on them. In this case they are lost, as it is not worthwhile for me to fly to Lima and pay the administrative charges, plus the duties, in order to get the medicines. There have been instances of people bringing in a box or suitcase full of medicines, saying to the Customs people, “These are donated for a doctor working in the jungle,” and being allowed to pass unmolested; there is however no guarantee that this will work, and NO system to obtain any simple sort of permission to import medicines. So, generally, you can bring what will fit in and around your socks, and if you want to make a larger contribution, I suggest that you do so in the form of money rather than materials, to the Amazon Medical Project, P.O. Box 194, Mazomanie, WI 53560 (we are a 501-c-3 organization, i.e., contributions are tax-deductible). I will then use the money to purchase the medicines that I specifically need (this also has the advantage of putting the money into the Peruvian economy, which can use it).
I can be reached by snail mail at: Linnea Smith, MD, Box 446, Iquitos, Peru.
You can fax me in care of Explorama, at 011-5194-25-2533.
Or you can e-mail to [email protected].
Do bear in mind that fax, e-mail, etc., are in Iquitos, whereas I actually live 50 miles
downriver, going into the city about twice a month. So do not panic, if I don’t answer you within 2 days. I will get your electronic communication when I go to the city, and will reply then. (This is why I suggest a month or two advance notice.)
BIJLAGE A: Formulier voor aanvraag tot terugbetaling van de specialiteit SEEBRI (§ 6690000 van hoofdstuk IV van het K.B. van 21 december 2001) I – Identificatie van de rechthebbende (naam, voornaam, inschrijvingsnummer bij de V.I.): II – Elementen te bevestigen door de geneesheer: Ik ondergetekende, dokter in de geneeskunde, attesteer dat de hierboven vermelde patiënt aan COPD van