Pharmaceutical Donations
In Cuba there is a very limited selection and supply of pharmaceuticals.
Often doctor's prescription are unable to be filled due to this shortage.
Recognizing these shortages due to limited financial resources, the Cuban Government allows visitors to the country to bring 20 lbs of pharmaceuticals with each visit.
MEMO Cuba takes advantage of this by sending 20 lbs of pharmaceuticals with each of its team members during medical/surgical/technical team visits.
Each year there are at least three team visits with an average of 8 team members.
Over the last 5 years, at least 800 lbs of pharmaceuticals have been carried to Dr. Aurora Riera, who distributes them to doctors and patients in the Villa Clara province where MEMO works.
It is estimated the value of these pharmaceuticals retail in Canada would be around half a million dollars! 
Medications include blood pressure pills, antibiotics, childrens' medications and particularly valuable asthma inhalers. One man, when meeting Aurora's husband kneeled down and, while kissing his hand, thanked him over and over again for saving his wife's life. It turns out that his wife had been having severe asthma attacks that were threatening her life but with steroid asthma inhalers from MEMO, she was now asthma free.
The medications are mostly pharmaceutical company samples from doctors offices and pharmacies. Every few months MEMO Volunteers get together for an evening "Pill Popping Party." The space wasting sample packages have the pills popped out into Ziplock bags so thousands of pills can be carried in a very small space. If you are interested in becoming involved, click here to find out when our next get together is expected to occur!
