DRIP and DMC Relief Efforts
In the month of May 2009, we treated thousands of patients all across rural Mardan District and near the border of Buner District. We were ably assisted by medical teams from
- Edhi Foundation
- CDRS
- Disaster Management Center, Abbotabad, Pakistan
- DRIP
- Mumtaz Bakhtawar Memorial Hospital
Overall, we treated 5,000 patients in our area and distributed free medicines to the IDPs. This is in addition to 2000 poor and destitute patients from our district whom we treated during the same time. We initially had only one doctor on duty at our Mardan facility but Todd Shea's CDRS was quick to respond to our plea of support and deputed a doctor from their AJK medical facility within days of the IDPs influx into Mardan District.
Dr. Nauman Siddiqui, of Disaster Management Center in collaboration with DRIP (Disaster Relief by Irish and Pakistanis) lead a team of doctors to our region which included two female physicians. 50% of the patients that we are treating are females and therefore, these lady doctors were extremely critical and vital for providing quality care to females in our area. We were able to treat over 300 patients in three different villages (Kotarpan, Rustum and Zahidabad) during the medical camp.
DRIP and DMC medical doctors team was back again in our area in June and assisted us in treating another batch of 200+ patients at UM hospital. Once again, DRIP/DMC provided us with free medicines for the IDPs that is helping our doctors continue to provide quality care to the poor. This time round, the team went beyond healthcare in providing food and traditional water buckets (Garha) to the IDPs.
DRIP has also joined hands with us in starting a free kitchen for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and are now preparing meals for at least 100 people daily. This is the first free kitchen of its kind in the area and therefore a significant improvement over the current reliance on local community to feed the IDPs in the area.
We have conducted a survey of IDPs in our area independent of the government. We hired a team of professionals that visited each village and counted IDPs in each home over the course of last few weeks. Over all seven Union Councils were surveyed which are adjacent or near our medical facility.
Dr. Nauman Siddiqui, of Disaster Management Center in collaboration with DRIP (Disaster Relief by Irish and Pakistanis) lead a team of doctors to our region which included two female physicians. 50% of the patients that we are treating are females and therefore, these lady doctors were extremely critical and vital for providing quality care to females in our area. We were able to treat over 300 patients in three different villages (Kotarpan, Rustum and Zahidabad) during the medical camp.
DRIP and DMC medical doctors team was back again in our area in June and assisted us in treating another batch of 200+ patients at UM hospital. Once again, DRIP/DMC provided us with free medicines for the IDPs that is helping our doctors continue to provide quality care to the poor. This time round, the team went beyond healthcare in providing food and traditional water buckets (Garha) to the IDPs.
DRIP has also joined hands with us in starting a free kitchen for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and are now preparing meals for at least 100 people daily. This is the first free kitchen of its kind in the area and therefore a significant improvement over the current reliance on local community to feed the IDPs in the area.We have conducted a survey of IDPs in our area independent of the government. We hired a team of professionals that visited each village and counted IDPs in each home over the course of last few weeks. Over all seven Union Councils were surveyed which are adjacent or near our medical facility.
Survey Conducted by UM Healthcare Trust of IDPsin adjoining Union Councils
Based on the results of the survey, almost 32,000 IDPs reside close to our facility and rely on us for not only healthcare but other needs. Considering that there is little or no government support or any other international non governmental organization working for these IDPs, and that DRIP/DMC are willing to go beyond just medical relief makes their efforts really unique.
A photo stream of the effort can be seen below
http://picasaweb.google.com/mumtaz.atif/DMCAndDRIPReliefCamp
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