We arrived in Varedaro with 16 checked bags thanks to West Jet’s generosity. After 3 hours of arguing with the customs officer we were allowed to take 12 bags of the most useful stuff. The Ministry of Health will retrieve the other 4 bags later.

Lori gave three talks on wound care to Cuban nurses at three of the cities we work in. After the last talk she was given a bouquet of flowers in gratitude.

We asked if they received the dressings we had been sending in the containers. They said no. We then visited a warehouse in Santa Clara where all the dressings and ostomy supplies we had sent were dumped. Because they were past their expiry date they were awaiting an expert committee to go through them and say which ones were safe to use. Pray that the expert committee will use their common sense and declare them okay for use by their countrymen who suffer needlessly for lack of ostomy and wound care supplies. From now on we will use remedial measures to make sure all dressings are acceptable.

The prostate surgery program we began in Placetas is flourishing. The young Cuban Urologist has done 82 minimum access prostate surgeries since we left in June. We visited Saugua, a 300 bed hospital serving North Western Villa Clara Province and hope to support Prostate surgery there as well. They are also asking for help with arthroscopy and laproscopic abdominal surgery.

We visited the psychiatric hospital located on farmland outside of Placetas. This picture shows a small washing machine that does all the laundry for 62 patients. We will try and raise funds for two heavy duty Canadian washing machines that will help solve the problem ($800). They also need a compressor unit for a commercial refrigerator unit they have ($1200).  If any of you have a good chest freezer you want to get rid of let us know as we need several for various institutions we work in.

The Placetas hospital smoke blackened kitchen was washed by the local fire department and received one coat of paint. We left 10 gallons of white paint for a second coat to finish what has been a four year process with some of you actually being involved in helping paint. Patience and persistence eventually pays off.

Doctor Aurora is working very hard directing the Placetas mammography clinic and the mobile clinic. She is finding a very high incidence of breast cancer among the women of Placetas.

I delivered a replacement ultrasound transducer probe used for prenatal checks in Placetas. It was bought second hand off EBay for $1000. New it was $16000!

This is just a little of what we did, what was done and what we learned(good and bad). We have many things we can share that are not appropriate for the universal internet.

If you or your group or church would like to hear personally, contact us as we would love to come and share with you. And as always we need money. Please remember MEMO as you do your end of year charitable donations.

Thanks for your interest and support of God’s work through MEMO Cuba.
Jerome