Archive for category: Blog

Haiti earthquake – 6 months on

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Children at a local orphanage send their thanks for helping CMAT to provide them with basic medical care.

Children at a local orphanage send their thanks for helping CMAT to provide them with basic medical care.

July 12, 2010 – Today marks 6 months since the devestating earthquake struck Haiti, killing over 200,000 people and rendering well over 1,000,000 homeless. CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka reflects on the organization’s response to this crisis.

The early days
Arriving less than 72 hours after the disaster, I was part of the CMAT Assessment team which quickly set about surveying the areas in and around Port-au-Prince. While I established contact with the UN On-site Operations Coordination Centre (UN-OSOCC), UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), and WHO- Pan-American Health Organization (WHO-PAHO, my colleagues on the assessment team went about scouting the region and environs for a suitable location for our field hospital, where there was the greatest need.

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CMAT Team 11 returns from Haiti

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CMAT Team 11 arriving in Port au Prince. L-R Eva Bennett - student intern from Brockville, ON, Brad Fraser, PCP and Team Leader from Kelowna, BC, Anastasia Bennett, RN from Brockville, ON Jacqui Stuart, NP from Woodstock, ON and Dianna Cleland, NP from Strathroy, ON.

CMAT Team 11 arriving in Port au Prince. L-R Eva Bennett – student intern from Brockville, ON, Brad Fraser, PCP and Team Leader from Kelowna, BC, Anastasia Bennett, RN from Brockville, ON Jacqui Stuart, NP from Woodstock, ON and Dianna Cleland, NP from Strathroy, ON.

June 29, 2010 – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams’ eleventh team of medical volunteers recently returned from their rotation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

CMAT, in collaboration with International Medical Assistance Team (IMAT) and the JP HRO (Jenkins Penn Haiti Relief Organization) have been working in the earthquake-affected region for just over 6 months now.

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CMAT Team 10 returns from Haiti

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CMAT Team 10 (L-R): Aysha Ebrahim, RN from Toronto, ON Carrie Mines, RN from Hamilton, ON Christina Coambs, ACP from Edmonton, AB Erin Clarke, RN from Scarborough, ON Rose Stone, RN from Oakville, ON (Team Leader) Amy Heffern, PCP from Sandringham, NF Luke Palmer, PCP from Vancouver, BC

CMAT Team 10 (L-R): Aysha Ebrahim, RN from Toronto, ON Carrie Mines, RN from Hamilton, ON Christina Coambs, ACP from Edmonton, AB Erin Clarke, RN from Scarborough, ON Rose Stone, RN from Oakville, ON (Team Leader) Amy Heffern, PCP from Sandringham, NF Luke Palmer, PCP from Vancouver, BC

June 21, 2010 – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams’ tenth team of medical volunteers recently returned from their rotation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

CMAT, in collaboration with International Medical Assistance Team (IMAT) and the JP HRO (Jenkins Penn Haiti Relief Organization) have been working in the earthquake-affected region for just over 6 months now.

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CMAT Team 9 returns from Haiti

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CMAT Team 9 (L-R) Kim McCann, RN from Port Perry, ON., Rebecca Stevens, RN from Surrey, BC., Janie McCabe, RN from Napanee, ON., Margaret Hyslop, Mental Health worker from Merritt, BC, Julie Roberts, PCP from Vancouver, BC and Dr. Mark Hyslop, MD from Merritt, BC.

CMAT Team 9 (L-R) Kim McCann, RN from Port Perry, ON., Rebecca Stevens, RN from Surrey, BC., Janie McCabe, RN from Napanee, ON., Margaret Hyslop, Mental Health worker from Merritt, BC, Julie Roberts, PCP from Vancouver, BC and Dr. Mark Hyslop, MD from Merritt, BC.

June 10, 2010 – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams’ ninth team of medical volunteers recently returned from their rotation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

CMAT, in collaboration with International Medical Assistance Team (IMAT) and the JP HRO (Jenkins Penn Haiti Relief Organization) continues to provide medical assistance in the quake-ravaged region.

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CMAT Executive Director visits memorial for Chinese Earthquake victims

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CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka honoured the memory of those lost in the the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, by visiting the town of Beichuan, preserved as a memorial to the earthquake victims, and laying flowers on behalf of Canadians at the central memorial site.

CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka honoured the memory of those lost in the the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, by visiting the town of Beichuan, preserved as a memorial to the earthquake victims, and laying flowers on behalf of Canadians at the central memorial site.

May 27, 2010 – Beichuan County, Sichuan, China – CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka honoured the memory of those lost in the the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, by visiting the town of Beichuan, preserved as a memorial to the earthquake victims, and laying flowers on behalf of Canadians at the central memorial site. “Seeing the immensity of the destruction even now, two years later, is very emotional. There are children buried in the public school and entire families lost who will never be recovered.”

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