News from the Public Administrations of central Tuscany
FLORENCE: INCOMING 35 CONTAINERS FOR THE COLLECTION OF UNUSED MEDICINES
The containers will be addressed to countries in the Global South. Displayed the initiative of the missionary Centre for Medicines. The deputy mayor Saccardi: “A further testimony of the Tuscan territorial sensitivity to the needs of less lucky people”.
“A medicine can save a life”. This is the slogan of the Medicines Missionary Centre initiative that is put into place through the installation of containers for the collection of not expired medicines and unused surgical devices on the territory of the Municipality of Florence, destined to countries in the Global South. More precisely next to the premises of the Azienda sanitaria, the social sanitary facilities, Misericordia, Fratellanza Popolare, Humanitas and soon in the Asl’s hospitals.
The initiative, promoted through the sponsorship of the Municipality of Florence and the contribution of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, has been presented and at the same time officially inaugurated today next to the premises of the Arciconfraternita della Misericordia in Duomo square. To the event participated the deputy mayor Stefania Saccardi, the Proveditor of Misericordia di Firenze Andrea Ceccherini, the vice-president of the Ente Cassa Risparmio di Firenze Pierluigi Rossi Ferrini and Massimo Ghiribelli, president of the Medicines Missionary Centre.
“I know the Medicines Missionary Centre since many time and the precious work that it carries out. Therefore I am quite pleased to give my contribution for the realization of this initiative- has underlined the deputy mayor Saccardi – who represents a further testimony of the Tuscan territorial sensitivity to the health needs of less lucky people who live in the Global South. Countries where a medicine, that for us is ordinary, becomes a life-saving drug. Thus, this activity has a great value that every year contributes to the saving of many lives”.
“Every day our volunteers are engaged in the assistance and support to people who live in difficulty, we cannot exempted from this initiative – has added Ceccherini. Sure of the big heart of this city, I invite Florentines to help us to collect medicines in order to donate them to whom cannot afford to receive medical cares”.
The project, that many voluntary associations of the Tuscan territory has adhered to, has the main purpose of reducing the medicines’ waste, transform unused waste in saving-life instruments and to raise awareness over the population on the health condition of the poorest countries in the world. The boxes thus represent a precious opportunity to donate medicines to impoverished people and, thanks to the information material that are furnished with, an instrument to know more deeply the severe health problems that affect the countries in the Global South.
The Missionary Center for Medicines is a voluntary association, born in Florence in November 1977, that collects and sends for free medicines, surgical devices and food for infants to doctors and missionaries that work in the Global South and East-Europe countries. The association is composed only from voluntary personnel: today voluntary people are around 50, among them 4 pharmacists.
“We receive as a gift medicines and sanitary devices from the Banco Farmaceutico, pharmacies, doctors, clinics, hospitals, scientific operators and pharmaceutical firms – has explained Ghiribelli-. It only concern unused medicines, that would be thrown, once expired, thus from potential waste they become life-saving instruments. In this way, the activity of the Center reduces the waste of medicines and tries to increase life expectancies of people who cannot access medical cares. Medicines for specific diseases, such as malaria, leprosy and many other tropical diseases, instead, are bought by the organization in Italy in specialized firms”.
Obviously all kind of medicines are welcomed, but Ghiribelli has underlined that the most needed are antibiotics and medicines containing paracetamol.
The packages are prepared by sanitary personnel depending on the specific requests of the beneficiaries. Packages are protected and sealed with appropriate material and they are accompanied with specific documents, also diplomatic, they are sent through the postal service, the courier and also containers. Moreover conspicuous quantities of medicines are directly brought by missionaries, doctors and volunteers who leave to reach a mission. “At the international level the Centre carries out cooperation activities in favour of the populations in the developing countries – has added Ghiribelli – but we are present also on the Tuscan territory where we are in contact with Caritas, Acisjf and many other shelter houses from which arrive increasing requests that demonstrate the present difficulties also in our city”. With regard to the commitment of the Medicines Missionary Centre on the Tuscan territory, the deputy mayor Saccardi has remembered that “ in Florence there is already available a project of post hospital assistance for people who do not possess a residence permit or experience an illegal condition. A project that permits to take in (carico) those people who, once out of the hospital, would not have the means and a place to continue the necessary health cares. The initiative of the Medicines Missionjary Center is inserted in this situation and demonstrates how, through the activation of synergies and cooperation, it can be given concrete answers to the needs of certain categories of the population that unfortunately are growing”.
In more than thirty years of activity has been collected tons of medicines, sanitary devices, medical equipment and food for infants that have been sent for free in more than two hundred and fifty different facilities”.
In order to have some data, in 2010 have been sent 4.216 kilogramme of medicines (of which 2.472 in Africa, 229 in Latin America, 6 in Asia and 1.509 in Europe), in 2011 the kilogrammes have been 5.467 (of which 2.929 in Africa, 302 in Latin America, 57 in Asia and 2.179 in Europe) and in 2012 the medicines sent have been 7.120 kilogrammes (of which 3.483 in Africa, 295 in Latin America, 60 in Asia and 3.282 in Europe). And in 2013 have been already sent more than 7.000 chilogrammes of medicines and various medical surgical devices.
Here you can find the boxes for the collection of medicines.
First of all next to the premises of Arciconfraternita della Misericordia of Firenze in piazza Duomo 20, viale dei Mille 32, via del Sansovino 176, piazzetta Valdambra 8, vicolo degli Adimari 1 e via Faentina 324.
And also next to Misericordia San Martino – Firenze Ovest (via Pistoiese 378), Misericordia Firenze Est – Varlungo (via della Loggetta 7), Misericordia of Bagno a Ripoli (via Chiantigiana 26), Misericordia of Galluzzo (via Volterrana 3/a), Misericordia of Settignano (piazza Tommaseo Niccolò 15), Misericordia San Piero Martire – Campo di Marte (viale Paoli 5), Misericordia of Rifredi (via delle Panche 41).
And the Pubbliche Assistenze Humanitas of Firenze Nord (via Ponte alle Mosse 93r), of Firenze (via San Bartolo a Cintoia 20) and of Scandicci (via Bessi 2).
Involved also Fratellanza Militare in the premises of Firenze (piazza Santa Maria Novella 17 and piazza di San Salvi 3) and Peretola (via Caduti di Cefalonia and via di Peretola 68).
The boxes will be present also next to the premises of Azienda sanitaria of Firenze Canova (via Chiusi 4/2), Santa Rosa (lungarno Santa Rosa 13), Le Piagge (via dell’Osteria 8), D’Annunzio (viale D’Annunzio 29) and Morgagni (viale Morgagni 33). And soon the boxes will arrive also in the hospitals of Azienda sanitaria, bringing the boxes’ number for the collection to 35.
For the other news about the Project “A medicine can save a life”:
Corriere Fiorentino
FirenzaToday
http://www.firenzetoday.it/cronaca/raccolta-farmaci-non-scaduti-misericordia.html
Il Reporter
Nove da Firenze
http://www.nove.firenze.it/vediarticolo.asp?id=b3.07.31.20.08&cb=1375294182935
News Cattoliche
http://www.newscattoliche.it/misericordia-fi-medicinali-paesi-poveri/
