Donation of Hospital Supplies

One of the challenges in Guatemala is the access to good medical care. If a person is lucky enough to get to a doctor or hospital there may not be any medical equipment or medicine to take care of the need, and the health care they receive even for the smallest problem often proves inadequate for their recovery beyond mere survival.

That is the reason Latin American Christian Education Services L.A.C.E.S. launched a special medical program in their schools (Escuela Integrada) to provide medical & dental care for their students, families, and other families that are referred to them. The children and families that attend Escuela Integrada are some of the poorest of the poor in Guatemala. Escuela Integrada offers hope, education, nourishment, and good health.

The waste of medical supplies in the United States is estimated at over $6 billion a year. Many of these supplies are unopened or unused, yet discarded due to regulations. Working equipment is replaced by new technology, and often these materials sit in warehouses or find their way to landfills. Meanwhile, in poor developing countries such as Guatemala, typical disposable medical materials like surgical gloves, sutures, and medications are too precious to throw away.

Trained health professionals such as in our schools require basic tools to diagnose and treat patients. Medical supplies are essential to the delivery of good health services, but basic life-saving equipment commonly available in the United States is often not available in developing countries.

Procuring donations for patients and clinics in need gives you a tangible and rewarding way to make a difference. A small box of supplies can go a long way for a small clinic. In addition, recovering supplies will not only produce health benefits for recipients, it will also reduce waste in our landfills.

MEDICATIONS

LACES have requested certain medications that would most help them to provide quality healthcare. You can help by donating left over samples of medications on the following list:

Analgesics: Tylenol, Toradol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen

Antacids: H2 blockers

Antibiotics: Penicillin, Sulfas, Macrolibes

Anti-hypertension medications

Anti-migraine medications

Allergy medications: Benadryl

Cough and Cold medicines

Emergency medicines: Nitroglycerin, epinephrine, glucagons

Eye medications: antibiotic & glaucoma drops

Skin Ointments: steroids and antimicrobials

Vitamins

It is essential that no medications are accepted for donation which have been previously issued to patients and then returned to a pharmacy or elsewhere. Please make sure that all donated supplies are in a sterile unopened package.

Because the need is so great, we ask that you consider donating supplies and medicine to this very worthy cause. If you receive supplies or samples of medicine and have no need for them please consider donating them to our work. The supplies will either be carried down to Guatemala or packed and shipped to them. Also please ask your suppliers for any of their left over supplies that they too would throw away and we will see to it that it gets put to good use.

Should you have any questions or would like to make a donation please feel free to give us a call.

Tom & Toni Johnson

352-344-8259

www.heartsoverlatinamerica.org

www.escuelaintegrada.org

Humanitarian Support to Guatemala

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