CMAT staff in joint relief operations with group on medical ship in Indonesia; to jointly distribute 50 tons of rice and oil from UN World Food Program; establishes medical services in Aceh for next six months
The K.M. Batavia. CMAT teams are working with staff on the Batavia to deliver emergency medical services and humanitarian relief to communities on the western coast of Sumatra made inaccessible by the December 26 Tsunami. (February 4, 2005)
February 21, 2005: CMAT announced today that its staff will be jointly working with a team on a medical ship making rounds sailing from Banda Aceh to Meuloboh along the Sumatran coast in Indonesia. The medical ship, the KM Batavia, is providing medical and emergency relief to communities along the Sumatran coast made inaccessible by the December 26 Tsunami.
Included in the effort is the distribution of 50 tons of rice and oil to these hungry people, provided by the United Nations World Food Program. CMAT is working to acquire a water purification system for use on the ship, so that it can stay out on missions for longer periods of time as it has to frequently return to dock to re-stock on water supplies.
CMAT is deploying a third medical team of Canadians to Indonesia on February 25 to further support the operation by 1) providing medical care and immunizations; 2) providing tools and supplies to help clear devastated areas and re-establish community access to medical clinics and 3) re-stock medical supplies and medications to the areas.
Team members include Dr. David Ratcliffe, an emergency physician, Ms. Una Ledrew, and Ms. Devi Crockford. The trio are from British Columbia and will rendezvous with 5 Indonesian nurses in Jakarta en route to Banda Aceh.
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