Bambuda Bocas Town
Project
Floating Doctors’ teams travel to remote communities with poor access to care to provide primary care and emergency care services, dental care, advanced patient care coordination and advocacy, education and training, and community development. Since setting sail in 2010, Floating Doctors has traveled over 26,000 miles to bring care to more than 60,000 patients and counting!
We have a regular recurring presence in more than 25 remote communities in Panama and a permanent presence in the region of Bocas del Toro.
Floating Doctors’ teams deploy nearly every week throughout the year and treat anywhere from 30 to 200 patients per day.
Maternal and child health are major priorities for us. Many of our patients now attend our clinics not only when they are ill, but even when they are well to get a health checkup for them and their children and to get de-worming tablets, vitamins, soap or new toothbrushes to help protect themselves and their families.
Needs
General Medical:
Ace Bandages, Alcohol Swabs/Wipes, Band-Aids, Blood Pressure Cuff (‘Sphygmomanometer’, Traditional and Digital), Blood Sugar Machines and Test Strips, Gauze, Ice/Cold Packs, Needles, Pen-Torches/Flashlights, Scissors, Small Scissors, Splints, Thermometers (Digital), Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Tweezers, Urine Dipsticks, Pulse Oximeter, Rapid HIV test, STD Rapid tests (Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Hep B, HPV), and COVID AG Rapid Tests
Specialist Equipment:
Fetal Doppler, Ophthalmoscope, Otoscope, and Stethoscope
Surgical:
Crepe Bandages, Dressings, Surgical Gloves, and Swabs
Sutures:
Absorbant and Non-Absorbent Suture Kits, Epinephrine, Silk 2/0 (or any non-absorbable equivalent for skin, such as Ethilon), Sterile Saline, Suture Glue/Adhesive, Tetanus Vaccine, Topical Anesthetic, and Vicryl 2/0 (or Chromic 2/0)
Syringes:
5 ml Syringes, 10 ml Syringes, and 1, 2, 3 ml Syringes.
Testing Kits:
Pregnancy Testing Kits and Testing Kits Urine Dipsticks
Health/Personal Grooming:
Antibiotic Ointments, Band-Aids, Bars of Soap, Plastic Gloves, Reading
Glasses of Assorted Strengths, Sun Screen, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, and Vaseline
Medications:
Alcohol Gel, Antibacterial Ointment, Antibiotics, Anti-Diarrhea Medication, Antifungal Cream, Antihistamine, Aspirin (Low-Dose), Beclomethasone inhaler, Burn Cream, Cough Treatments, Ear Drops, Eye Drops, Folic Acid, Hydrocortisone Cream, *Ibuprofen, Metronidazole (Flagyl), Paracetamol, Permethrin (Scabies Cream), Salbutamol Inhaler, and Vitamins
Specifically for Children:
Newborn Clothes, Crayons, Coloring Books, Deflated Soccer Balls, Pens, Pencils, and Notebooks
Support Equipment:
Pen-Light
Initiatives Supported
Listed on this page are the specific needs requested by the community project(s) so you can choose exactly what to pack for a purpose and express your gratitude to the local community with the supplies you take them. If you prefer, you may reach out directly to them to inquire about items which may be available for purchase locally. Arranging visits to community projects is beyond the scope of our mission. If you wish to visit a project, contact the participant and they can let you know what is possible.
Candy and balloons are not on the needs list as they are harmful for the children and the environment for the following reasons:
• Few of the children benefiting from these projects have access to toothpaste, toothbrushes, or a dentist. The candy promotes cavities.
• The balloons once they become deflated are a choking hazard for local wildlife.
Instead of taking candy or balloons, use that space for additional requested supplies, as they are priceless.
