E-drug: offer of medical journals, update
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Dear e-druggers,
earlier this year (18/6 )I sent a message offering to send my read
copies of the general medical journals to which I subscribe (BMJ
and NEJM)to colleagues in developing countries who had no
access to medical libraries. I received an overwhelming number of
replies, the majority from sub-Saharan Africa, but also South
America, ex-Communist countries as well as central and eastern
Asia and even Papua New Guinea. Most of the respondents,
especially those from Africa, belonged to top institutions (capital
cities Medical Schools, Ministries of Health), I think simply showing
their ease of access to the Internet but I also got replies from
colleagues working in remote areas. Since then, a number of
medical books as well as all my journals have been on their regular
way to various corners of the world. I have also organised a tiny but
dedicated group of colleagues who are now sending journals to
health workers who have replied to my initial offer.
I have also contacted all the organisations in the UK which I thought
could be of help, namely the British Medical Association, BMJ,
Oxfam and Bookaids. However, none of them, and each for their
own perfectly good reasons, were able to help in this specific
project, ie sending printed medical literature to named individuals. In
fact, some of them are already doing a real lot to increase medical
literacy worldwide.
The reason I am writing now is that despite all my efforts, I am still
left with a list of about 50 health workers (medical doctors,
pharmacists, even medical students) who have hardly any access to
printed, updated medical literature and whom I would really like to
help. I also think this "project" actually fits quite well with what
e-drug is about.
I am thus asking e-druggers who, similarly to me, may have no
need to keep their medical literature and who feel like sending it off
to needier colleagues, to get in touch with me. I can supply you with
a name and address and that person will then become your "pal" or
"protege'" if you wish. For colleagues who will contact me from the
UK, I have a number of practical tips on how to make the parcels,
The cheapest postal rates, how to get help from your hospital
pharmacy etc.
NEJM, BMJ and Lancet are greatly appreciated and so is the British
National Formulary (it doesn't need to be the newest issue: the
recipient of my own September 2000 BNF was extremely grateful as
his most recent copy dated back to 1988) and drug datasheets.
The need for printed literature is enormous, especially as Internet
access is often very limited and printing facilities extremely scarce.
I hope to hear from many of you.
Valeria
Dr. Valeria Frighi
Diabetes Trials Unit
Radcliffe Infirmary
Woodstock Road
Oxford OX2 6HE
UK
tel. -44-1865-228422
fax -44-1865-224584
e-mail valeria.frighi@dtu.ox.ac.uk
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