Need some advice on carrying medical supply donations to Roatan

[silvernotch]

I work for a major hospital and the storeroom has been donating all kinds of medical supplies to me to bring down to Roatan for the clinic. I had planned on just packing them in a box or carrying them in a duffle bag by themselves and putting them with my checked luggage. Now included in some of the supplies I've acquired are needles and some small bottles of saline solution and ultrasound gel. I will be traveling from Philadelphia to Houston to Roatan.

Now here's my questions
Will TSA give me any trouble with this or with any particular items?
Do I need to report what I am travelling with before I go?
Do I need to submit a manifest to anyone?

I would just hate to go through all this and some little snag stop me from donating all these supplies.

 

[arkstorm]

As long as it is in checked luggage i do not believe that TSA will have anything to say about it. What you ought to do though is check to make sure that Honduran customs won't give you a hard time.

 

[morecowbells]

I also work at a hospital and decided to mule some of the donated items(mainly in the form of dressing supplies) plus multiple purchased tubes of antibiotic ointment for Clinica Esperanza during my Jan. trip. Nobody ever went through my bags at customs. I honestly do not know what to tell you about syringes and needles. One time in Cozumel their customs confiscated my syringes and needles and left me the rest of my supplies. Uneventful, but aggrivating. Perhaps providing a letter from the organization which you are helping outlining the purpose of your supplies(in Spanish and English) would help.

It is great that you are doing this. The need for these supplies is vast. Many of these supplies are cost prohibitive and incredible difficult to obtain on the islands.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

I work for a major hospital and the storeroom has been donating all kinds of medical supplies to me to bring down to Roatan for the clinic. I had planned on just packing them in a box or carrying them in a duffle bag by themselves and putting them with my checked luggage. Now included in some of the supplies I've acquired are needles and some small bottles of saline solution and ultrasound gel. I will be traveling from Philadelphia to Houston to Roatan.

Now here's my questions
Will TSA give me any trouble with this or with any particular items?
Do I need to report what I am travelling with before I go?
Do I need to submit a manifest to anyone?

I would just hate to go through all this and some little snag stop me from donating all these supplies.

you can contact Lynn at the Roatan Childrens Fund she should be able to help you..she will help you make sure it gets to where it needs to go.... her email address is lynn@roatanchildrensfund.com

or the link is http://www.roatanchildrensfund.com
/

that is really nice of you to do this.....thanks so much

 

[terrylowe]

I have done this about a dozen times. Never had a problem bringing it in. People in customs there can be very arbitrary. It is OK to argue a bit with them and a letter explaining your purpose won't hurt. It is also OK to talk with their supervisor, but they do not speak English.

Here are a few suggestions:
1. Do not leave scrubs. (There have been cases of medically untrained persons wearing them and committing fraud)
2. Don't leave it all in one place if possible (Unfortunately it is very common for the supplies to be sold for profit...for one person)
3. Almost every community has a health department. They are very appreciative of any supplies that you leave.

Have fun and feel free to PM me if you have any specifics.

 

[silvernotch]

So it looks like the biggest issue isn't getting it down to Roatan, it's getting it through Roatan customs. I've talked to Lyn before so I'll shoot her an email.

Thanks guys

 

[Tool Belt]

We are leaving Saturday and bringing antibiotics, toothbrushes, clothes, puzzles, ibuprofen, Tylenol, vitamins, school supplies......anything we can fit in our carry on. I just shot Lynn an email to see if she had any suggestions. We are staying at CCV, I suspect someone there will accept the items and see that they reach the proper destinations?

 

[parrotheaddiver]

We are leaving Saturday and bringing antibiotics, toothbrushes, clothes, puzzles, ibuprofen, Tylenol, vitamins, school supplies......anything we can fit in our carry on. I just shot Lynn an email to see if she had any suggestions. We are staying at CCV, I suspect someone there will accept the items and see that they reach the proper destinations?

talk to Bertha in the front office....I think Yancy at Playa Miguel beach houses...takes all the things people bring to where ever they are intended to go...unless you want to deliver it yourself then you need to arrange that...but it is easier to just leave it with the CCV staff..thanks for your help have a great time...don't think I am going to make it there this year

 

[BettyfromToronto]

I was at FI in February and we got Yancy's name from Lynn as I had school supplies to donate. Rather than just pick it up at FI; Yancy took us over to CCV for a tour of CCV & Miguel Beach Houses. Very nice. Someone else had dropped off a big suitcase with clothes. So yes Yancy is your man.

 

[Tool Belt]

Thank you both.