Humanitarian mission to Dhaka

rsani@nst.com.my

BEING healthcare professionals does not only mean providing medical services to a community. It also means being aware of the community’s needs and current situation, as well as its cultural sensitivities, in order to provide the best possible healthcare.

Over 40 students from Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS) learned this first hand during a humanitarian mission to Dhaka, Bangladesh, recently.

Dubbed the Bangladesh Relief and Care Expedition (BRACE) 2018, the programme was held from July 22 to 28 with the aim to provide much needed health screenings and medical aid for the poor community in Dhaka.

An annual project, the mission is focused on providing health services, medical care, education and welfare support to underprivileged communities.

According to BRACE 2018 advisor Associate Professor Dr Mohamed Ikram Mohamed Salleh, the decision to choose Dhaka for the mission this time around was due to the impact of the monsoon rain in the area.

As of June last year, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) estimated that at least 1,200 people had died and more than 41 million were affected by monsoon rain and severe flooding in South Asia.

In Bangladesh alone, floods claimed the lives of 142 people and impacted over 8.5 million citizens. Not only were their homes washed away, but crops, food supply and livestock were wiped out too. Recent figures from the Asian Development Bank showed that 31.5 per cent of Bangladeshis lived below the national poverty line.

“This was the best place to practice what they had learnt in the classroom. Rural community exposures such as this help students to better understand their role as soon-to-be healthcare professionals. This would open opportunities for them to gain knowledge and comprehend how the real healthcare spectrum works,” said Dr Mohamed Ikram.

“CUCMS students have been trained to balance their studies and extracurricular activity wisely to make this humanitarian mission successful. CUCMS believes that this type of education and training will produce graduates and medical and health science professionals that are competent and balanced physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally, thus in line with the mission of CUCMS,” he added.

Responding to the tragedy, CUCMS’ students started collecting information, conducting research on the affected area in Dhaka and planning for the mission in December last year. They drafted a programme that included visits to the village of Uthali, Madrasah Al-Jamiatul Islamia Majahirul Ulum Bhagalpur, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Aftab Uddin School and College.

Among the activities that were conducted during the mission were providing medical check-ups, health talks and provision of basic items for shortterm aid. Two of the long-term projects were providing medical bill coverage for babies from poor families to be treated in incubators at the paedriatric departments at various medical schools and the extension of washroom at a nearby madrasah to improve students’ personal hygiene.

“To ensure the success of this mission, we had signed a memorandum of understanding with BSMMU for future academic collaboration. We distributed 150 sets of family kits at the Jahurul Islam Medical College, and over 100 patients received hygiene kits at Aftab Uddin School and College,” said BRACE 2018 project director Ameer Ikhwan Azminudin, who is a second-year student of MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) at CUCMS.

“While at Madrasah Al-Jamiatul Islamia Majahirul Ulum Bhagalpur, we distributed 298 sets of educational kits and installed 10 water pumps for the villagers of Uthali. We would like to thank the Jahurul Islam Medical College for the warm welcome, as well as providing us three days of accommodation and having their students help as translators during our mission” he said.

Elaborating further on the MoU, Ameer said it entailed knowledge-sharing initiatives, students and researcher exchanges. The partnership will focus on master’s programmes on family medicine, anatomy and pharmacology.

At the ceremony, CUCMS Faculty of Medicine dean Major General Datuk Dr Professor Zin Bidin, was present and said, “This programme opens up more opportunities for our students to learn, do good things and gain exposure on different cultures, environments and traditions. Congratulations to the team for putting all the hard work in delivering good deeds to the people in Bangladesh.”

For Ameer, the most important thing that he learned from the mission was the responsibility that every individual had to undertake.

“Regardless of our backgrounds, the only thing that matters is how much effort we invest to help people who are in need. I thank the lecturers, participants, partners and sponsors who were involved in the programme. Without the support, we would not have been able to achieve our goal,” he said.

Of challenges, Ameer said the biggest was getting funds for the mission.

“Due to the region’s economic fluctuations, it was difficult for us to gain people’s confidence in donating to underprivileged people in Bangladesh. Other than that, we are now more aware of the requirements imposed by the authorities when conducting an international humanitarian mission. I will never forget this opportunity and responsibility given to me”.

Meanwhile, CUCMS Pharmacy student Siti Sarah Abdul Fatah said, “It was an eye-opening experience. There are many beneficial things I learned from this mission, such as being grateful for what we have, the value of hard work and doing good wherever you are.

She said she was touched by the gratitude shown by the Bangladeshi people during the mission.

CUCMS Psychology student Nur Hidayah Mohd Assabri said, “If you don’t want to visit Bangladesh for the food, places or shopping, do visit for its people. Through them, we can learn self-respect and love. I will cherish this memory the most. It was an eye-opening journey for all the participants. Thank you BRACE 2018 for providing us this opportunity.”

Shafieza Hanem Sahrudin, who is also a CUCMS’ Pharmacy student said, “One thing I learned from BRACE 2018 is that we should always be grateful and kind to others because we are all imperfect beings. I am glad that I got to take part in this mission for the second time. I can now see the differences in the need of different communities.”

BRACE 2018 is the sixth international mission organised by CUCMS students, which began with the Cambodia mission in 2013, Vietnam in 2014, Pekan Baru, Indonesia in 2015; Vientiane, Laos in 2016 and Nepal last year.

Engaging in volunteerism and humanitarian programmes is an essential part of CUCMS’ educational philosophy in producing holistic professionals and healthcare providers with quality attributes of leadership, competency, entrepreneurship, and resistance. For this purpose, the students of CUCMS have been encouraged to organise humanitarian missions within the country and internationally.

The decision to choose Dhaka for the mission was due to the impact of the monsoon rain in the area.

Advisor BRACE 2018