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CMAT and HF Emergency Medical Team begins clinical operations in Honduras

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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

CMAT/ HF Team arrives in Honduras – local roads impassable

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Traffic and Pedestrians are stranded on a major highway which was washed out by Hurricane Iota.

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]

CMAT and HF Emergency Medical Team arrives in Toronto.

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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]

CMAT and Humanity First Canada partner to respond to Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras.

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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