CMAT deploys first Primary Health Care team to provide medical relief in Pakistan flood zone.

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CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka (far right) met up with CMAT Primary Health Care Team 1, who departed Toronto's Pearson Airport for Karachi, Pakistan. L-R: Anne Aspler, Resident; Tania Correa, Nurse Practitioner; Matthew Douma, Registered Nurse; Sylvia Walters, Paramedic and Team Leader Rashad Chin, Resident.

CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka (far right) met up with CMAT Primary Health Care Team 1, who departed Toronto’s Pearson Airport for Karachi, Pakistan. L-R: Anne Aspler, Resident; Tania Correa, Nurse Practitioner; Matthew Douma, Registered Nurse; Sylvia Walters, Paramedic and Team Leader Rashad Chin, Resident.

September 10, 2010 – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams’ (CMAT) Assessment team, which arrived in Karachi a few days ago, confirmed yesterday the need for Primary Health Care teams to be deployed to Pakistan’s flooded regions. CMAT Team 1 left Toronto’s Pearson Airport late Friday afternoon, and will take with them nearly one half tonne of medical supplies and water purification equipment.

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CMAT Primary Health Care Teams to begin deployment to Pakistan on Friday.

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A family photo of Internally Displaced People (IDP) in a camp near where CMAT and IMAT will be working in southern Pakistan. Notice the colour of the drinking water in the bottle - it's the colour of tea with milk. Donations are needed to buy a large water purification unit.

A family photo of Internally Displaced People (IDP) in a camp near where CMAT and IMAT will be working in southern Pakistan. Notice the colour of the drinking water in the bottle – it’s the colour of tea with milk. Donations are needed to buy a large water purification unit.

September 9, 2010 – Earlier today, the CMAT assessment team confirmed that there is a need for CMAT to deploy primary care teams, and so CMAT Primary Health Care Team 1 will be deployed this Friday.

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CMAT Assessment Team’s first day of assessment complete.

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CMAT Assessment Team member Dr. Omar Elahi discusses transportation and logistics with local authorities in Sindh province, southern Pakistan.

CMAT Assessment Team member Dr. Omar Elahi discusses transportation and logistics with local authorities in Sindh province, southern Pakistan.

September 8, 2010 – The CMAT/IMAT Rapid Assessment Team departed Toronto on Sunday September 5th, and have spent the last 24 hours conducting a needs assessment in the Thatta region of Southern Sindh province.

Martin Metz, Team Leader reports that there are many people who have left their homes and are sleeping in the open at the side of the road.

The health care needs in the area in and around Thatta appear to be well managed by the local authorities and military.

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Pakistan Floods – URGENT Call for more medical volunteers

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CMAT Assessment Team ready to depart Toronto's Pearson Airport for Karachi, Pakistan. L-R: Yasmeen Jabbar, RN, Omar Elahi, Medical Resident, and Martin Metz, Paramedic.

CMAT Assessment Team ready to depart Toronto’s Pearson Airport for Karachi, Pakistan. L-R: Yasmeen Jabbar, RN, Omar Elahi, Medical Resident, and Martin Metz, Paramedic.

September 7, 2010 – CMAT’s Rapid Assessment Team arrived in Karachi, Pakistan late last night, and connected with members from our American affiliate, IMAT early this morning.

The five member team has begun its assesment of the southern part of Sindh Province, and are heading towards the town of Thatta. Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. The town was one of the worst flooded districts of Pakistan. The sea was on high tide when flooded river water reached it, multiplying the damage drastically. By late August, 175,000 people had left their homes and were camping along the sides of the main road under the open sky.

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