The Medical Wishlist
The following is a list of medical care consumables that are difficult to find. Some of these items will be given out through our informal Akha clinic, and also some items we have found help us physically as we live and work in Thailand.
It is difficult for the Akha to get good medical care in Thailand due to the fact that many of them do not have citizenship and the privileges that come with it, and so what began as a simple distribution of Paracetomol for aches and pains has grown into a mobile clinic where we can distribute medicines for many problems (thanks also to the spectacular book Where there is No Doctor : a guide to village medicine). It has been a real blessing to be able to be an sympathetic ear to the physical needs of the Akha.
Medical Supplies
We were able to purchase a shopping bag full of medicine for US$25 here. Health care can be expensive for the Akha who have no coverage, but medicine is very cheap. We have, however, found that some items are hard to find or are of poor quality here. As we have been treating scrapes and sickness and have been traveling often we have compiled a list of items that are a blessing to receive.
- Gatorade Mix Packets - with stomach problems
in the village, this is one of the best treatments we can give to keep people
hydrated.
- EmergenC - Cranberry - We go through
these pretty quickly. They help fight colds and general energy levels and
the cranberry is especially good for Lori.
- Cranberry Extract - For some reason,
it is very difficult to find cranberry anything in Thailand. Ever since
Lori
was in the hospital, we have tried to keep these around as a natural way
of combating UTIs.
- Airborne - well, this is our new favorite
thing. Not that it would work for everyone, but taking Airborne every 3 hours
on the very long trip from the states to America really helped us in our adjustment
back to Thai time. We would recommend them for you while traveling, and would
be happy to take any leftovers off your hands :)
- Chloraseptic Gargle - one of the
major problems we run into in the village is abscessed teeth. We have developed
a cleaning / treatment method which includes a rinse, a gargle and an antibiotic
for the infection. We can use a Hydrogen Peroxide gargle, but the anesthetic
and taste of the Chloraseptic makes the process just a little more bearable
for the kids.
- Fabric Band-Aids - when you put
band-aids on village kids, you have to use the best. Plastic just doesn't
cut it, fabric is the only thing you can hope will last even half a day.
Unique sizes and shapes are preferred (knuckles, large bandages, etc). The
brand doesn't matter, but make sure they are fabric.
- Baby Wipes - a quick easy way to clean
up feet, hands or whatever else needs a cleaning before treatment.
- Itch cream - We see many rashes in the
village and topical itch relief is really appreciated. The brand doesn't
matter, any Benadryl equivalent is fine.
- AntiBiotic Ointment - Infection can be
a real problem. Even if a wound is bandaged, it can become infected without
the application of antibiotic ointment. Once again, the brand doesn't matter,
any Neosporin equivalent is fine.
- Pepto Bismol - Tablets or the syrup are
equally effective.
