Indian Ocean Tsunami Relief:
www.surfaidinternational.org
Quiksilver Foundation Nias Fund
SurfAid International Begins Full Operation of Medical Mobile Clinics In The Sirombu-Mandrehe Region On Nias Island
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 17 January 2005: - - Nias and Hinako Islands, Indonesia; Yesterday SurfAid's mobile medical clinic traveled to the villages of Sirombu and Mandrehe in Nias, which was badly devastated by the tsunami on December 26th. A three station clinic was set up to deal with clinical cases, immunizations, worms and vitamin A treatments. SurfAid doctors and nurses immunized 97 children between the ages of six months and fourteen years old, all of whom were also treated for worms and given vitamin A. An additional 102 people were examined and many were treated for a variety of acute and chronic illnesses, such as diarrhea, chest infections, skin infections, goiter, fever and respiratory tract infections.
“In the village of Sisowahilly near Sirombu, 89 people out of 360 were killed, most of whom were taking refuge in a church when a five meter wave hit it and destroyed the building,” says Jude Barrand SurfAid communications field officer. This is a village that is a kilometer and a half inland.
Meanwhile, SurfAid orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Sohrab Gollogly continues to operate out of Sirombu and Gunung Sitoli health facilities, where yesterday he performed his fifth operation on a woman with what was believed to have a tumor in her neck. Dr. Gollogly has also been making rounds to visit patients he has previously operated on to follow up on their status. His patients are doing well with the exception of one burn victim who is in critical condition.
Three days prior to arriving in the Sirombu-Mandrehe region, SurfAid teams assessed and treated people in the Hinako islands on Asu, Bawa and Hinako just off the west coast of Nias. Damage to the Hinako islands has been relatively minimal to infrastructure, however the people of the Hinakos have suffered economic strains as access to food and other supplies have been cut off.
The Sirombu market in Nias, which was destroyed by the tsunami, usually meets the supply demands of the Hinako islands. “Because of the scarcity of goods and high demand, prices in the islands have soared and people are unable to afford basic necessities and food. The village chief can’t even afford to send his two kids to school in Nias,” says Barrand. The situation is worsening as the population is not able to sell coconuts, copra and woven goods in the market and are loosing their household incomes. SurfAid and Chris Scurrah, a local boat operator who has been instrumental in getting aid to these islands, have both dropped food on the island, but it has only satisfied demand temporarily.
“Poor health conditions were preexisting on the Hinako islands and are being exacerbated by malnutrition as fish and vegetables are scarce as a result of the tsunami,” says Dr. Dave Jenkins, SurfAid’s founder and medical director. There are no hospitals or operational health facilities in the islands. The only healthcare available is given by partially trained nurses and infrequent visits from an immunization team from the Nias health department. Furthering the problem, psychological trauma has resulted in a fear of the water and fishermen are afraid to get back in their boats so no fish is available to the islanders. In the recent past there has been a measles outbreak and malaria outbreaks are ongoing. Twenty-five percent of patients diagnosed and treated by SurfAid doctors were also suffering from Malaria.
SurfAid will operate clinics in the Sirombu-Mandrehe region for the next four to five days and then return to the Hinako islands to hold clinics there as well.
This response was made possible with seed funding from Quiksilver while overwhelming support followed from the Indies Trader company, Billabong, New Zealand Aid, and Australia Aid. This has more than quadrupled the scope and reach of the operation.
SurfAid International is a health focused NGO which has been operating in the Mentawai Islands, off West Sumatra, for the past four years. The organization has focused principally on communicable disease prevention including malaria control and immunization through a direct implementation approach. SurfAid has established strong working relationships with local communities, local NGOs, regional, provincial and central Health Departments and the World Health Organization (WHO). The organization has strong links with local surfing communities, many of whom are well established in Nias Island, West Sumatra Province.
Key Achievements and Developments to Date:
Preparation
SurfAid has recruited and mobilized a team of 40 that includes doctors, nurses, nutritionists, community facilitators, researchers, interpreters, and communications, logistics and management staff Hired a disaster relief expert to run disaster relief program Hired a disaster relief communications manager fluent in Indonesian Hired 5 qualified nutrition for heath ed and distribution of vitamins Established relationships with North Sumatra and Aceh health departments to secure legal permissions and cooperation with the aid effort Conducted a detailed assessment of tsunami affected areas in Nias and the Hinako islands Secured U.S. 500K worth of medical supplies and equipment including: general medicines, 10,000 mosquito nets, 10,000 malaria rapid diagnostic tests, 2000 treatments of ACT malaria drugs, 8,000 measles and tetanus vaccines, vitamin A, Iron and nutrition supplements and surgical supplies Transported vaccines in cold chambers through Medan to Nias Medical aid delivered
Medical assessments and treatments have been ongoing in the islands since January 3rd by a medical advance team. Over 100 patients were examined.
1 5 operations by SurfAid’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Sohrab Gollogly
2 Mobile clinics have been operating at full capacity fully staffed for 1 day
97 children immunized between the ages of six months and fourteen years old, all of whom were also treated for worms and given vitamin A
1 An additional 102 people were examined and many were treated for a variety of acute and chronic illnesses, such as diarrhea, chest infections, skin infections, goiter, fever and respiratory tract infections
www.surfaidinternational.org
Quiksilver Foundation Nias Fund
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Amy Selbach
SurfAid International
amy@surfaidinternational.org
U.S.A
Tel: (760) 753 1103
Fax: (760) 753 1167
Indonesia
M: 62 812 66 34936
Tel: +62 751 27966
Fax:+62 751 26922
Tsunami Relief
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