AID AGENCY BOOSTS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS
Relief group to send second medical team to disaster-hit area on Sunday
MALAYSIANS and local non-governmental organisations are continuing their efforts to assist the people in Palu, which was recently devastated by an earthquake and tsunami.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA) reaffirmed its commitment to continue its medical emergency assistance in Palu, Sulawesi, for three months until the end of December.
A second medical team, consisting six medical personnel, will leave for Sulawesi on Sunday to replace the first team that will return to Malaysia tomorrow.
“The first medical team, which has been in Palu for the last two weeks, reported that many clinics in Donggala and Palu have been damaged, and most are no longer safe to be used.
“In general, the MRA medical mobile clinic attends to 50 to 60 patients daily. The victims are suffering from respiratory infection, gastritis, food poisoning, skin disease and mouth infection.
“Patients suffering from chronic illness like high-blood pressure and diabetes are at risk because they are not getting their medications,” said MRA president Dr Mohd Daud Sulaiman.
Dr Daud said MRA was focussing on providing trauma care for children affected by the disaster.
“Traumatised children are given treatment.
“With the help of local organisation Dewan Dakwah Indonesia (DDI), we have created a children’s and women’s centre, Sekolah Hatiku Senang, in an area housing 200 families.
“The trauma treatment programme involves education, activities and psycho-social support assistance, which are badly needed to help the children cope with the horrific devastation. MRA hopes to create four more schools to meet the demands of the local community,” Dr Daud said.
He said the lack of clean water for drinking and sanitation was a crucial issue.
“The MRA has implemented a shortterm solution to the water crisis by providing 15 water tanks that can hold 5,000 litres of water each and they have been placed in evacuation centres.
“To ensure a contin- uous supply of clean water, MRA plans to start digging 20 wells, which costs RM10,000 each.
“The project can provide the community here with clean water,” he said.
MRA expects the cost of the programmes for three months to be around RM500,000.
“It has opened a satellite office in Palu to ensure the streamlined management of funds, and ensure aid is distributed to the right people.
Malaysians interested in donating can do so by contributing to Tabung Bantuan Kemanusiaan Gempabumi Sulawesi MRA through its Public Bank account (39885 91608) under the Malaysian Relief Agency Foundation.
For details, contact 013 455 7020 (Mohd Fadhil Baharudin) or 03 9174 4672 (MRA office).
On Sept 28, Palu, Sulawesi, was ravaged by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami. Nearly 2,000 lives were lost in the incident.