In order to cope with emergencies such as in Haiti, where the local medical structures had difficulties operating after the terrible earthquake of January 2010, and to supply our mobile clinic in Cambodia, twice a year we send a large provision of basic medicines. Buying them in Switzerland, directly from the producers, we pay for them much less than if we bought them overseas.
It is very hard in Haiti to find doctors and nurses willing to render their services free of charge. In the capital city Port-au-Prince alone there are hundreds of shantytowns, where children and adults live in extremely poor hygienic conditions. Many people are seriously ill and the few existing hospitals are overcrowded, unable to receive new patients. We believe it is of vital importance that we support the country by sending as many medicines as possible.
Our mobile clinic in Cambodia copes with the needs of the most destitute people living in the suburbs of Phnom Penh and in the surrounding countryside. These people have no chance to get medical help, because they live outside urban centers. In order to carry out their mission, the local doctors need several medicines which are essential in giving first aid and which are not easily available at affordable prices.
Here is a list of medicines and medical instruments which we regularly send to Haiti and Cambodia:
| Acetylsalicylic acid Albendazole Amoxicillin Ampicillin Benzathine benzylpenicillin Ceftriaxone Ciprofloxacin Chlorphenamine maleate Chloroquine Sodium chloride Cloxacillin Co-trimoxazole Dicoflenac sodium Enalapril Erythromycin | Furosemide Gentamicin Glibenclamide Gliseofulvin Ibuprofen Mebendazole Methyldopa Metoclopramid Metronidazole Miconazole cream Multivitamin Neomycin Nifedipine Nystatin Omeprazole | Paracetamol Propranolol Ranitidine Ringer’s solution Salbutamol Iron(II) sulfate Tetracycline eye ointment Vitamin C Catheters Lint Sterilized surgical gloves Adhesive tape Syringes and needles Insulin syringes |