dispatches from here

Medication headed to a refugee clinic in Syria

Whenever we (UCSF med students) visit a clinic abroad, we try to take supplies and medicine to help out.  A few years ago helped on of my classmates with a student run organization called REMEDY. He founded the UCSF chapter of this group, which collects unused/unwanted medical supplies from hospitals in the US and helps deliver them to clinics in developing countries.  At UCSF, there are bins to collect unused medical equipment otherwise headed for the trash in the main hospital ORs and ICUs.  So I met with one of the med students currently helping with the group and collected a few bags of basic medical supplies, first aid supplies, glucometers + test strips, etc.  But I wanted to take some medicine too, because from what I’ve heard, the clinic I’d like to head to in Syria literally only has a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope and hugely dedicated volunteer physicians.

So I called my uncle, a family practice physician in San Jose for some help.  I knew he would help a little, but he came through huge!  I showed up at his office to find bags of meds ready for me to take.  Useful meds too, in huge quantities that can probably supply this clinic for months.  I’m not sure the picture above does justice, so for all of the medical people reading along, here’s a short list:

tetacycline 250mg x 300 tabs, 500mg x 200 tabs
penicillin 250mg x 200 tabs, 500mg x 500 tabs
amoxicillin 500mg x 500 tabs
cephalexin 250mg x 200 tabs, cephalexin 500mg x 300 tabs
ciprofloxacin 500mg x 200tabs
septra ds x 300 tabs
erythromycin 250mg x 100 tabs, 500mg x 100 tabs
elanapril 5mg x 200 tabs, 10mg x 200 tabs
hydroxyzine 25mg x 100 tabs
amlodipine 5mg x 90 tabs
atenolol 25mg x 300 tabs, 50mg x 400 tabs
famotidine 50mg x 100 tabs
prednisone 10mg x 500 tabs
paroxetine 10mg x 90 tabs, 20mg x 40 tabs
fluoxetine 10mg x 400 tabs
citalopram 10mg x 500 tabs, 20mg x 300 tabs
erythromycin eye ointment x 2 tubes
triamcinolone 0.1% oint x 9 tubes
ibuprofen 400mg x 500 tabs
naproxen 220mg x 50 tabs
diphenhydramine 25mg x 50 tabs
robitussin x 11 bottles

This is seriously a huge haul…I have no idea how I’m going to get through customs in Jordan or Syria with all of this stuff. I guess this will be the first of many challenges on this trip.

meds and supplies for refugee clinics