CMAT Vlog #3 – Clinic Set up
2020-11-24 – CMAT physician Dr. Anthony Fong shows us around the clinic set up in a village school, on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
2020-11-24 – CMAT physician Dr. Anthony Fong shows us around the clinic set up in a village school, on the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
2020-11-22 – San Pedro Sula, Honduras: Today’s update is courtesy of Team Leader Brian Wilson: “CMAT – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams and Humanity First Canada setup for another day of running our EMT Type 1 Mobile clinic just outside of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in response to Hurricanes Eta & Iota, and the resulting flooding that has killed dozens of people and displaced thousands.
“In a time of a world-wide pandemic, this has compounded the disaster in this country. Our teams of volunteers have taken vacation from their jobs, and left their families, to respond to this dire humanitarian emergency, acknowledging the risks, and even accepting that when we get home we will have to quarantine for another two weeks.
“I am humbled to work alongside such a great group of clinicians and logisticians who share a common desire to serve humanity, save lives, and make the world a little bit of a better place. This is all possible because of generous donations, we are completely donor funded and volunteer staffed.”
Patients assessed today included an elder in a remote mountainous village, who was unable to attend clinic due to mobility issues. CMAT and Humanity First Clinicians conducted a home visit to assess the patient.
Donations gratefully accepted at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/42951
2020-11-18 – La Entrada, Honduras: A video tribute to the hard work of logisticians that make foreign aid delivery possible. They arrange everything from entry into a country, to packing our thousands of pounds of luggage into units that can be checked in with airlines, to securing drivers and vehicles, to feeding the staff.
2020-11-17 – La Entrada, Honduras (With special thanks to the HF/CMAT Team Leader Brian Wilson for this update):
“This morning we woke up to find out that all internet into our region was down. This means that we had no wifi, and no cellular data, which is important because these days a LOT of coordination is done using WhatsApp which requires data. We went back to “old school” methods, like SMS messages and calling people… (sheesh, it’s like we were back in the dark ages!)
We requested that CICOM provide us with a police escort to get us the last 2.5 hours into San Pedro Sula. Unfortunately they told us the bridges were not passable. We then sent a team to investigate the situation first-hand, and found that 15 minutes out of town, the only highway was completely flooded. We explored options of trying to find another way, by going further south, but have been told that highway is also impassable.
In the meantime, using SMS to relay messages through another NGO, we confirmed that CICOM knew where we were, and they have now requested that we setup to provide medical clinics in the immediate region until access into San Pedro Sula can be logistically sorted out. We have been contacted by a local medical officer, who stated they would be in contact tomorrow to coordinate our efforts. Below is a short video showing the flooded road as viewed by our Deputy Team Lead, Hassan Naeem. Tomorrow is a new day, and the team looks forward to getting to work while we wait for instructions on how best to reach the hardest hit regions.”
Donate here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/42951 or via e-transer/PayPal to [email protected]
2020-11-16 – Toronto: Welcome to the first video of our Deployment Vlog series! With huge thanks to CMAT Clinical Lead and Emergency physician Dr. Anthony Fong, in this video, he describes our anticipated disaster deployment to Honduras in response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November 2020. (in partnership with Humanity First Canada) www.canadianmedicalteams.org
2020-11-16 – Toronto, ON. The CMAT and Humanity First Canada Collaborative Emergency Medical Team gathered in Toronto this evening to prepare for tomorrow’s team deployment to Honduras. Good luck team!!
Please Donate here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/42951 or via e-transfer/ PayPal at [email protected]
2020-11-16 – TORONTO, ONTARIO – Canadian Medical Assistance Team announces a collaboration with Humanity First Canada in response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Central America. The Emergency Medical Team of 10 volunteer health professionals from both CMAT and Humanity First were deployed to help the people of Honduras in response to the two hurricanes which stuck northern Honduras less than two weeks apart. Earlier today, Hurricane Iota reached a catastrophic Category 5, and is taking a similar path to the powerful Hurricane Eta, which killed more than 200 people across Central America last week.
Responding to the request of PAHO (The Pan American Health Organization) and the Honduran Ministry of Health, a joint EMT 1 team consisting of physicians, nurse practitioners, midwife and logisticians will arrive in San Pedro Sula to provide primary health care and emergency care. The team will consist of two mobile medical units which will visit outlying communities affected by the hurricanes.
The CMAT and Humanity First Emergency Medical Team departed from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for Honduras this afternoon, with medical equipment and supplies, water purification systems and other emergency supplies.
Media Contact:
Valerie Rzepka, Executive Director – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams 1-855-637-9111 or [email protected]
About Canadian Medical Assistance Teams:
Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) is a non-profit disaster relief organization comprised of health professionals and non-medical volunteers who selflessly give their time to assist and provide relief aid to the victims of natural and man-made disasters around the world. Established in December 2004, CMAT has earned a reputation as an important partner agency of the World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization.
CMAT teams have responded to numerous crisis situations around the world including the Indian Ocean Tsunami, typhoons and flooding in Bangladesh and the Philippines, and earthquakes in Pakistan, China, Haiti, and Nepal. CMAT has accumulated a database of over 1000 skilled volunteer health professionals from across Canada.
For more information please visit www.canadianmedicalteams.org Canadian Charitable Registration # 88439 3315 RR0001
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November 16, 2020 – Toronto, ON: The CMAT and Humanity First Canada Collaborative Emergency Medical Team gathered in Toronto this evening to prepare for tomorrow’s team deployment to Honduras. Good luck team!! #EMTeams #EMTAmericas
Please Donate here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/42951 or via e-transfer/ PayPal at [email protected]
November 15, 2020 – San Pedro Sula, Honduras: Less than two weeks after powerful Hurricane Eta killed more than 200 people across Central America, authorities on Saturday warned that tropical storm Iota is likely to wallop coastal areas of Nicaragua and Honduras on Monday as a major hurricane.
In collaboration with our partner Humanity First Canada, and with guidance from the Pan American Health Organization, CMAT will be mobilizing its medical team to the affected region in Northern Honduras in the next 24 to 48 hours, in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Iota.
The Collaborative CMAT/ Humanity First medical team was assembled over the past few days, and together with medical equipment and supplies, will deploy as two EMTs Type 1 Mobile. Team members due to depart Toronto’s Pearson International Airport in the coming days.
Your support of it critical in this time of need. Please help CMAT and Humanity First provide medical assistance for the Honduran people at this devastating time, when they are most at risk. Donate now, so that together, we can save lives.
Tax-deductible donations gratefully accepted at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/42951 or by email transfer or paypal to [email protected]
June 14, 2020: CMAT has been approached by our EMT colleagues at the Polish Centre for International Aid (PCPM) who have been providing medical assistance in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) for COVID-19 response in Italy and Tajikistan.
In the coming weeks, at the WHO’s request, PCPM may be shifting their response to the Republic of Armenia, and they have asked CMAT to survey our volunteers for interest in possible collaboration and co-deployment. This deployment is not yet confirmed, but is being proposed for the end of July and August, 2020.
There is a particular need for expertise in Anaesthesia and Critical/ Intensive Care, particularly for Physicians and Registered Nurses, as well as Respiratory Therapists. The teams would be supporting the existing health care system in the capital city of Yerevan and possibly beyond. Details are still being worked out.
If you are interested in potentially deploying to Armenia, please ensure your CMAT profile is up to date with all the required documentation (i.e. upload a copy of your passport, your professional license, your vaccination record etc.) Please also send your expression interest (including your speciality and professional experience) by email to: [email protected]
Please access your CMAT Profile by visiting:
https://cmat.ca/volunteer
To login – use the email address at which this email was received, and you can reset your password by clicking “Forgot password”. You can refer new volunteers to register under the same link, and then creating a new profile.
IMPORTANT: the inbound 14-day self-quarantine restriction which has been mandated by the Canadian government may remain in place upon your return. Please take this into consideration when looking at your schedule. Outbound travel would be arranged on commercial airlines to Poland for staging, then connect to chartered military aircraft from Poland to Armenia.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
PO Box 35055
Ellerbeck Station
Toronto, ON M4K 3P5
CANADA
T.1-855-637-9111
F. 866.670.0167
Canadian Charitable
Registration # 851226498 RC0001
PO Box 35055
Ellerbeck Station
Toronto, ON M4K3P5
CANADA
T.1.855.637.9111
F. 1.866.670.0167
Canadian Charitable
Registration # 851226498 RC0001
Our colleagues from @UKMed_NGO are in Eswatini (ex-Swaziland), helping to train on oxygen cylinders and supply. O2 is critical medicine for treatment of covid and other diseases. Expansion and maintenance of oxygen is a key challenge esp in those in need of external support.
The team working in Eswatini 🇸🇿 includes Sean Ryder, a biomedical technician. Sean is training teams in how to maintain and repair oxygen cylinders - which is critical as #COVID19 continues to impact people's daily lives.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-earthquake-1.5913831