Update CMAT Assessment Team and Team One

Update from CMAT Assessment Team and Medical Team 1 – Ormoc City – Near City Hall

The CMAT teams are based near City Hall in Ormoc City. As you may have been following on our social media, there was a delay getting our field hospital released from customs, and so it only arrived in Ormoc late last night.  This has not slowed down the team one bit. Yesterday they report seeing over 200 patients.

Mobile Clinics

Members of the team have been rotating through mobile clinics. The team has joined NGO Plan International, as the visit rural bangarays (communities) to distribute tarps, cooking utensils, etc, and the CMAT members provide medical care where needed. Some of the bangarays are up to 3 hours away, and have received little other assistance. Yesterday the mobile team treated 80 patients in just over 3 hours in one bangaray. An important part of the Team’s role is gathering patient statistic, and reporting them to the coordinating health authorities. The stats reported by the team contribute to the overall information on the relief response, and inform decisions related to the distribution of aid and resources.

Patients in Ormoc City

Remaining CMAT team members see patients in the Ormoc center near the CMAT camp. The patients presenting to the team there are looking for wound care, and primary health assistance, for the most part. Approximately 120 patients were seen by team members at the central location yesterday.

Field Hospital

As mentioned above, getting the field hospital out of customs, and back in the possession of the team has been quite a task, and thanks to Exec Director Valerie Rzepka for her patience, persistence, and by all accounts, perspiration, to get the hospital back to the team. The goal is to set it up near the existing CMAT camp in city center, and the team is working with the local health authorities over the next 24 hours to determine if that is the final plan with it or not.

Team 2

Team members already on the ground have asked for our patience as they set up the hospital, and determine patient need and flow. They feel they cannot make a final decision on the size and composition of Team 2 until they have those numbers. We appreciate how difficult waiting to hear can be, but we want to make sure we are making the best choices possible for the patients, for our volunteers, and our donors. If all goes well with the field hospital, we should have some indication of patient flow by Sunday evening or Monday morning Pacific Time.

Supplies

The teams took medical equipment and medication with them from Canada, but additional needs are emerging daily. In some cases, the team is able to source supplies in Cebu (for example, cases of Ranitidine, and Bactroban topical cream, totalling about $1200CAD) and in other situations we are sourcing the equipment here in Canada and sending it over.

With the team on the ground, with some access to local supplies, your monetary donations are so important to our project. Not only can the team access some of the supplies that are urgently needed in the less serviced bangarays, but they can also contribute to local businesses who are struggling to get back on their feet after the Typhoon. Please continue to donate to the relief efforts in the Philippines though https://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?charityID=s98486

Photos

The team is taking photos of their work and the areas they are working in. Unfortunately, there is still limited electricity, poor, if any internet, and a cellular network that supports voice and SMS, but the team has not been able to send an image file. As soon as we are able, we will upload photos.