Allow processing time. Check with your local post office or passport agency for instructions on applying for a passport. Make photocopies of the picture page to tuck in your luggage and to leave with your family along with a copy of your travel itinerary. A belt-bag or fanny-pack keeps important documents more secure as you travel.
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LEARN
Deepen your MMI experience and get a good guidebook. Your local library has information and perhaps travel videos about your destination. Of course, there will be information on the internet.
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WHAT TO BRING
Begin a list of necessities. Spare eyeglasses, hat, routine prescriptions, mosquito repellent, extra towel, sheets, sun block, hand sanitizers, swimsuit. . .
Dark, easily washable clothing is best. No flashy jewelry. Travel in comfortable shoes. Perfumed toiletries attract insects. Toiletries will be expensive locally, if they are even available. Zip-lock bags keep things from leaking onto each other.
Surgery and clinic supplies, equipment and non-expired medicines are carried by participants to specific projects, or shipped (at the donor's tax-deductible expense) to our warehouses.
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LUGGAGE
Plan to pack in one suitcase and use the second bag or Rubbermaid trunk (with a lock) for supplies. Leave the trunk behind, if possible, for storage after the project. Your carry-on bag should include essentials in case your luggage does not arrive with you.
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SHOULD I BRING GIFTS?
You may want to give a little gift to your translator, the OR nurse, the bus driver, etc. Gather small 'thank you' gifts like toothpaste, pens, key chains, stickers, crayons, small shampoos, baseball caps, etc. You'll be glad you did.
Clothes, sheets, shoes, and left over toiletries can be donated through local churches at the end of the trip, leaving suitcase space for some of those souvenirs. Your MMI Project Director welcomes extra batteries or other hard-to-get items. Remember: medicines and necessities take priority over toys when packing.
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MEDICINES
Below is a list of basic medications that are needed on most projects. Avoid samples of unusual, sophisticated drugs. Please pack medicines in containers, not plastic bags, to keep them clean and uncrushed. List drug name, manufacturer, expiration date and number of containers. (You don't need to count pills). We cannot use expired medicines.
Vitamins & iron (tabs & liquid) - adult, pediatric, prenatal
Analgesics - ASA, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, NSAIDS, muscle relaxants
Antacids & antiflatulants - Mylanta, Mylanta II, Maalox, Maalox Plus, Digel, Zantac, Pepcid
Antibiotics (tabs & liquids) - Penicillin, Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, TMX/sulfa, Cipro, Metronidazole, Mebendazole, all antibiotic ointments
Antifungals - Loprox, Lotrimin, Nystatin, Monistat 3, Tinactin, Nizoral, etc.
Antinausea - Dramamine, Meclizine, Gravol
Antispasmodics - Donnatal, etc. (especially elixirs)
Asthma - any asthma preparations
Cardiovascular - Hydroclorothiazide, Aldomet, ACE inhibitors
Colds & coughs (tabs & elixirs) - Dimetapp, Robitussin, Nyquil, etc.
Diarrhea - Lomotil, Imodium, Peptobismol, Kaopectate
Ears - antibiotics, analgesics, wax softeners
Gynecology - Monostat, Flagyl, vaginal ointments
Laxatives - stool softeners, ointments & hemorrhoid suppositories, fiber supplements
Skin - Topical creams & ointments (antibiotic, antifungal, steroids), also Kwell
Urinary - Bactrim, Septra, Macrodantin
When repackaging meds: keep lot numbers and expiration dates together. The pharmacy will need dispensing envelopes, clean medicine containers, small plastic bags, rubber bands, marking pens, labels, and lunch-size paper bags .
WE CANNOT USE EXPIRED MEDICINES
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SURGICAL SUPPLIES
Caps, boots, scrubs, masks, gowns and sterile gloves... Drapes, sponges, prep sets, disposables, tape...
We can re-sterilize suture packets and procedure trays. We always need manually operated lab equipment & lab supplies.
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WILL I STAY HEALTHY?
The food and water we provide will be clean and safe. Wash your hands with soap often. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you.
Review your immunizations and check with your physician about what is needed where you will be serving. Hepatitis B, for example, has to be given over several months. Avoid having injections the day before carrying suitcases through the airport.
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ENLIST YOUR COMMUNITY
Seasoned MMIers routinely collect toothbrushes, over-the-counter pain meds, adult and children's vitamins, ointments, and more through churches or clubs. If you make arrangements ahead of time, the airline may allow you to bring one non-motorized, collapsible wheelchair in addition to your routine luggage allowance.
If you would like to prepare Health Education cards (English or Spanish) for clinic distribution, we can send master copies to reproduce. These can be pasted on the backs of greeting card pictures, which the patients like to hang on the wall. We can use them in any quantity.
Sewing clubs like to prepare colorful eyeglass cases or cloth bags (lunch sack size) for dispensing prescriptions. Send excesses to the MMI warehouse.
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