• To facilitate the immediate delivery of emergency relief supplies and rescue services to people in need
• To aid in the development of emergency medical systems in developing countries by providing state of the art equipment and current training
This document outlines the successful completion of our most recent capacity building program in and around Siem Reap , Cambodia . The mission ran from Jan 27, 2006 to February 10, 2006. The mission was a multi-faceted program consisting of medical, education, and water sanitation components.
Medical Component
The program's medical component consisted of the following aspects: • Donation of essential medicines and vitamins
• Donation of surplus medical equipment
• Donation of low intensity laser light systems and the training of local staff
• Running clinics for those in need including outlying areas with no access to medical infrastructure and street children
• Training emergency responders
DMGF donated a large amount of essential medicines to various programs in Cambodia through the Angkor Children's Hospital. The consignment of medicines donated included the following 2400 bottles of multivitamins, 2 million tablets of ciprofloxacin, 2 million tablets of doxycicline, 2 million tablets of metronidazole, 200,000 tablets of fluconazole, 180,000 tablets of duovir (AIDS ARV), and 45,000 injectables of ceftriaxon.
The donated medicines were procured from the Universal Healthcare Trust. The earliest expiry date for these medications is November 2008. They were manufactured by such reputable and quality tested companies such as Garden State Drugs, CIPLA, and GlaxoSmithKline.
These medicines will be used by the Angkor Hospital for Children and other local NGOs including Emergency, an Italian NGO hospital that treats mine victims and Medecins Sans Frontiers- Belgium who will use the vitamins and duovir to treat patients with HIV.
DMGF collected a consignment of donated and surplus medical goods from Canada . These goods include hospital beds, stretchers, prehospital equipment, defibrillators, surplus medical/surgical items, catheters, dressings, bedside tables, and other consumable medical items. These items filled a forty foot sea container. The items were successfully donated and distributed to the Angkor Hospital for Children and the Provincial Hospital in Siem Reap.
Meditech-BioFlex Laser Systems in Canada has developed a new low intensity light laser technology that helps to promote wound care by reducing healing time and has many other medical applications. Two of these systems were donated to the Angkor Hospital for Children. DMGF volunteers completed a training program in Canada and transferred their knowledge to local staffers.
DMGF held four clinical sessions. A total of 816 patients were assessed. A medical clinic was held for the street children of Siem Reap who often are unwilling to seek out medical attention. Primary healthcare issues were handled such as wound care. Street children were washed, fed and provided with a supply of vitamin C and multi-vitamins. Some were prescribed medications to handle infections and the presence of gastrointestinal parasites such as worms. Sick patients were transported to the Angkor Hospital for Children as required for further assessment and treatment. Statistical information on the underlying root of where street children come from was collected through the use of questionnaires and surveys. This vital information will be used to help compile accurate statistics and write grant proposals to help fund programs designed to help this group.
Two other clinics were held in local schools administered by Schools for the Children of Cambodia (SCC), a British run charity and partner agency. The children were assessed by our medical team treated for minor infections, cuts, and common ailments. Moderate cases are being tracked by SCC staff and more serious patients were referred to local healthcare providers.
A clinic was held in the village of Phnum Krum near Tonle Sap . DMGF worked alongside staff from Angkor Children's Hospital. The Children's hospital is trying to add the clinic to its outreach locations and will continue to work there.
Medical Component
DMGF team members spent two days training first responders at the Siem Reap International Airport . This refresher training followed up training delivered by our staff last year. Course sections included choking and cardiopulmonary resuscitation modalities along with bandaging, splinting, and spinal immobilization techniques. More than fifty first responders received refresher training.
DMGF team members were taken out to remote areas of Cambodia to work alongside and train the land mine clearance personnel of Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a British NGO that specializes in removing landmines. The course curriculum is an extensive one developed by DMGF and applied to several demining programs around the world. Components include assessment skills, immobilization techniques, amputee management, fluid volume replacement, trauma care, extrication techniques, and other relevant topics. Forty-two land mine clearance personnel were trained as medics. DMGF also donated some emergency medical equipment to MAG for use in its daily operations. This equipment included trauma dressings, splints, gloves, and spinal boards.
Education Component
DMGF donated several items to the schools administered by SCC. They included computer equipment, text books, school bags, paper, sports equipment, and nutritional supplements such as power bars. These items were distributed to various local schools. DMGF also built a portable shelter to be used as a school building to a local school lacking in infrastructure in the village of Phnum Krum . The building was built on a concrete slab to increase its viability.
Water Sanitation Component
DMGF launched a three part program to assist targeted communities to receive clean water. These three components included water testing, bio-sand filtration technology, and ceramic filtration technology. DMGF water team members conducted tests of wells and water sources at several schools administered by SCC and other sites. The water testing was to check for the presence of e-coli and other fecal contaminants and to assess turbidity levels. Test results can be viewed on an attached appendix.
DMGF water team members assisted with the distribution and implementation of ceramic water filters. These units were purchased from local distributors and donated to residents living on the floating villages of Tonle Sap , the country's largest lake. Villagers live in shacks that float along the lake and have no access to clean drinking water. These ceramic filters will help them to drink clean water and should help to curtail the spread of water-borne diseases. A total of a hundred filters were purchased and will be distributed to help a hundred families.
Water Sanitation Component
Bio-sand filtration technology is a low technology system designed to filter water through a sand medium. Once an ecosystem develops, it will eliminate any new organisms to the system, thereby killing off bacterial contaminants. DMGF purchased a mold to create the filters locally. Cambodian NGO staff, locals, and expatriate staff were given training sessions in the use building and implementation of the bio-sand molds. A total of 4 molds were successfully built and commissioned in SCC sponsored schools. These filters will help provide cleaner drinking water and cut down on the spread of water-borne diseases. A detailed breakdown of the location of the molds is available on an attached spreadsheet.
A formal agreement has been reached to continue the biosand program in Siem Reap. The mold has been donated to the Trailblazer's foundation. DMGF trained staff have been hired by Trailblazers for a 5 month trial period to produce, distribute, implement the filters and train other staff in their production. Program goals are to produce and implement ten filters a month. Program reports are to be filed quarterly. The rainy season will limit distribution and will cause a shift to production. A local plumbing company is providing workshop space, access to technical materials, and labour.
Summary
The DMGF mission was successful. The team managed to accomplish the following:
• Donated essential medicines
• 2400 bottles of vitamins (adult, children's, and AIDs)
• 2,000,000 tablets of ciprofloxacin
• 2,000,000 tablets of doxycicline
• 2,000,000 tablets of metronidazole
• 200,000 tablets of fluconazole
• 180,000 tablets of duovir (AIDS ARV)
• 45,000 injections of ceftriaxon <
• Donated surplus medical equipment to 2 hospitals, 1 clinic, and a land mine clearance program
• Assessed and treated 816 children with limited or no access to medical care
• Donated a new Low Intensity Laser Light System from Bioflex-Meditech
• Trained local doctors and staff in the use of the laser
• Trained over fifty first responders in emergency care
• Trained 42 land mine clearance medics in comprehensive trauma management
• Assisted in treating and medically evacuating a unconscious Australian national with a critical closed head injury
• Donated text books, school bags, paper, computer equipment and sporting goods
• Built a schoolhouse
• Completed comprehensive testing of water resources in target communities
• Helped to distribute ceramic filtration systems to villagers who live on the floating village in Tonle Sap
• Trained staff and commissioned 4 bio-sand filters to improve the access to clean water at SCC schools
• Implemented a follow up program designed to distribute 10 additional filters monthly
Team Members
Rahul Singh, Team Leader
David Phillips, Construction / Water Testing
Shawn Cleary, Biosand Filtration / Ceramic Water Programs
Victor Pak, Paramedic
Aelish McCreary, Paramedic
Rebecca Thomas Howard, Paramedic
Nicole Merckel, Paramedic
Jenn Fair, Paramedic
Jeannette Broad, Respiratory Therapist
Robert Selfridge, Training Coordinator
Bill McCracken, Training Leader
Stephanie Palisek, Volunteer
Amir Azimi, Documentary Filmmaker
Cam Hong, Volunteer
Gayle Smith, Volunteer
Budget
The following breakdown represents DMGF's program expenditures:
$ 7200.00 Shipping
$ 2640.00 School Construction
$ 1385.00 Water Program
$ 805.00 Clinics
________________________
$ 12030.00 Total
