Medicines for Autonomy
Guidelines for collecting medicines...
List of requested medicines...
With the initiation of five Juntas of Good Government in August of 2003, the Zapatista movement began a new phase in building alternative political power. The Juntas are meant to govern Zapatista territory - and whoever lives there - and so far they have been functioning extremely well. Even PRI-affiliated campesinos take their complaints to the Juntas, who have won a reputation for fair but firm decisions, often addressing problems that festered over decades.
In addition to resolving disputes, the Juntas perform all the tasks of an effective regional government, with special emphasis on the three pillars of the revolution: health care, education and economic development. In August, the Zapatista leadership announced that henceforth, medical care would be free to all who live in the region - including those affiliated with the PRI, PRD and other groups. In addition, Zapatista support communities are guaranteed access to free medicines, while others have to pay only a small fee.
The largest autonomous hospital in Chiapas is located in Oventic, where doctors and health care promoters provide everything from free consultations to surgery. The hospital served 8,214 patients in 2003, nearly 23 a day, an impressive track record for a hospital that works with few resources and without assistance from the state or federal governments. The hospital did 5,084 general consultations, hospitalized 216 patients and attended the needs of 625 pregnant women. The hospital oversees eight smaller clinics, one in each of the autonomous municipalities governed by the Oventic Junta, as well as a training program for health care promoters. Eventually the training program will provide at least two health care providers for each community.
While the autonomous health care system has made impressive strides in the past decade, the new offer of free medicines puts a strain on limited resources. In response to this, the Mexico Solidarity Network has begun organizing a national grassroots program to provide medicines for Zapatista communities. We will focus initially in the highlands region, around the Oventic, because this area has the most highly developed system of clinics, and the health providers are able to distribute medicine to other parts of Chiapas.
You can participate in this grassroots project:
- Approach local doctors, hospitals, clinics and pharmaceutical companies for donations of medicines. Speak at local community events and encourage others to look for donations.
- Establish a collection center in your community for donated medicines that you can then either send with someone traveling down or ......
- Volunteer to carry medicines to Chiapas yourself! Each time you travel you can take an extra suitcase with medicines for Zapatista communities. Send your travel plans to the Mexico Solidarity Network and we'll provide instructions for getting to Oventic to deliver the medicines.
For more information about how you can help, contact us at msn [at] mexicosolidarity [dot] prometdevelopment [dot] com, or (773) 583-7728.
Guidelines for collecting medicines:
- See below for a complete list of medicines used in Oventic. Please collect only medicines that are on the approved list.
- Please do not donate expired medicines. No matter what your neighborhood doctor tells you about the value of expired medicines, the Zapatista communities will not accept second class health care, and we should not offer it. Medicines must have at least three months, and preferably six months or longer, before their expiration date.
- All medicines must be in their original packaging with expiration dates and type of medicine clearly displayed.
- It's alright to accept pharmaceutical samples, although it is preferable to look for bulk donations. Pharmaceutical samples often contain more packaging than medicine, though we understand that sometimes this is the only thing available. Please be sure to collect at least one full dosage, for example, if you collect antibiotics be sure to have at least the equivalent of two weeks dosage.
List of requested medicines (in Spanish below):
Acetaminophen
Adrenaline
Albuterol
Aluminum Hydroxide
Ambroxol
Ambroxol Syrup
Amoxicillin
Ampicillin
Aspirin
Astemizol
Atropine sulfate
Benzonatate (Tessalon)
Calcium Bicarbonate
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Chlorphenamine
Chlorpheniramine; PhenylpropanolamineI
Chloramphenicol
Chloropiramine
Chloroquine (Aralen)
Ciprofloxacin
Dehydoremetine (Mebadin, Dametin)
Diazepam (Valium)
Dicloxacillin (Pathocil)
Diclofenac (Voltaren)
Dilantin
Doxycycline
Ergonovine
Erythromycin
Hemosin-K
Hydorcortisone
Ketamine
Ketorolac (Toradol)
Loratadine (Claritin)
Lysine Clonixinate
Meclizine
Mebendazole (Vermox)
Meloxicam
Metamizol
Methimazole (Tapazole)
Methocarbamol (Robaxin)
Methylprednisolone (Medrol)
Metoclopramide (Reglan)
Metronidazole (Flagyl)
Midol
Naproxen Sodium
Omeprazole (Prilosec)
Oxytocin(Orasthin, Pitocin, Syntocinon)
Penicillin
Potassium Chlorate
Prednisone
Primaquine
Pseudoephedrine
Quinfamide
Ranitidine (Zantac)
Rocephin (Ceftriaxone)
Sodium Bicarbonate
Tetracycline
Theophylline
Tinidazole
Tramadol (Ultram)
Xylocaine 2%
Xylocaine 1%
Lista de medicinas utilizadas:
Acidio acetil salicilico tabletas
Adrenalina ampoletas
Albuterol en nebulizacion
Ambroxol ampoletas y jarabe
Amoxicilina capsulas
Ampicilina capsula
Astemizol tabletas
Atropina ampoletas
Avapena ampoletas y tabletas
Benzonatato Perlas
Bicarbonato de Sodio
Bicarbonato inyectable
Bonadoxina ampoletas y tabletas
Butilhiocina tabletas
Calcio ampoletas
Carbamazepina tabletas
Ciprofloxacina tabletas
Clonixinato de lisina ampoletas
Clonixinato de lisina tabletas
Cloranfenicol capsulas
Clorfenamina tabletas y copuesta tabletas
Cloroquina tabletas
Cloruro de potacio ampoletas
Dehidroemetina ampolletas
Diazepam tabletas
Diciofenaco ampoletas y tabletas
Dicloxacilina capsula
Doxicilina capsulas
Epamin capsulas y suspeniones
Ergonovina ampoletas
Eritromcina capsulas
Hemosin-K inyectable
Hidrocortisina ampoletas
Hidroxido de aluminio y magnecio suspencion
Ketamina ampoletas
Ketorolaco tabletas
Ketorolaco ampoletas
Loratadina tabletas
Mebendazol tabletas
Meloxicam tabletas
Metamizol ampoletas y tabletas
Metocarbamol tabletas
Metoclopramida inyectable
Metromidazol solucion parqa via parenteral
Metronidazol
Metronidazol susp
Naproxen tabletas
Nimesulde tabletas
Nuvain (Nlbufina) ampulas
Omeprazol ampoletas y capsules
Oxitocina ampoletas
Paracetamol tabletas y goats
Penicilina
Penicilina procainica
Penecilina benzatinica
Penicilina sodica cristalina
Peudoefedrina tabletas
Prednisona tabletas
Primaquina tabletas
Quinfamida tabletas
Ranitidina ampoletas y tabletas
Rocefin
Salbutamol tabletas
Solu-Medrol (metilprednisolona ampoletas)
Suero oral
Teofilina ampoletas
Tetraciclina capsula
Tinidazol tabletas
Tramadol ampoletas
Valium (Diazepam) inyectable
Valproato de magnesio tabletas Xylocaina
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