The David McAntony Gibson Foundation, hereafter referred to as DMGF launched a relief operation to help the island of Sri Lanka recover from a Tsunami that hit the island on December 26, 2004. An earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck of the coast of Bandar Aceh in the Indonesian province of Sumatra resulting in massive tidal waves called tsunamis. These tsunamis affected several countries. The island of Sri Lanka was devastated. Over 33,000 people perished as a result and over 800,000 people lost their homes becoming internally displaced persons. DMGF launched a medical relief and water sanitation program in Batticoloa District on the east coast. Appendix G displays the formal agency agreements between DMGF and local responders.
Given Sri Lanka 's shaky ceasefire and conflict filled past, DMGF felt it paramount to work in an under serviced area and ensure that its teams treated all affected persons regardless of their religion or socio economic stature.
Medical Relief Component
Global Medic, an operational arm of DMGF dispatched a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to the area. It should be noted that all of DMGF's medical volunteers paid their own way and volunteered their time to participate in Global Medic missions. A team of 7 paramedics participated in the mission. Medical staff responded from postings in Iraq , Edmonton , Toronto , and Niagara . Please refer to Appendix B for a list of the medical team.
The team helped a local guesthouse owner clear up some debris form his business in order to establish a base camp, called Camp Yukon . A small clinic was set up for medical consults of local villagers and as a stabilization point for land mine victims. Several mines from a nearby army base were displaced due to the Tsunami. Land mine clearance NGOs and the Sri Lankan Army were working to eradicate the problem. The clinic also served as our operational headquarters.
The team also constructed at 12 foot by 24 foot medical clinic. The base was a 10 cm layer of poured cement. The structure was made of steel sheeting over a galvanized steel tubing frame. This clinic was built in a new village for resettlement in Saukkady, 10 km north of Baticoloa.
The medical teams brought with them over $40,000 worth of pharmaceuticals for use in treating the affected population and stockpiling government reserves for use post departure. Three Physician Travel Packs were purchased from Health Partners International of Canada.
Other prescription medicines were purchased in Cambodia , Jordan , and locally by responding team members. One of these Physician Travel Packs was donated to Humanity First, a group helping the Muslim population in the town of Eruva , just north of Baticoloa. Over 5000 patients can be treated with these medicines. A full pharmaceutical listing is available by referring to Appendix C.
Medical Relief Component
Medical teams supported local doctors and healthcare staff by traveling to refugee camps throughout the district. Our teams assessed and treated patients, kept monitoring records, provide advice on public health and sanitation issues, and monitored the camps for pandemics of cholera, E-coli, and typhoid. Our teams worked in conjunction with and alongside local staff. We provided medical support, pharmaceuticals, and transport to the sites. Some of the camps required public health advocacy on basic issues such as hand washing, sanitation, and basic hygiene. Global Medic staff performed educational sessions alongside local staff to promote sanitary conditions.
The bulk of the patients assessed suffered from respiratory infections, amoebic dysentery, gastroenteritis, and dermal fungus infections. Patients with pre-existing conditions who lost their medications were treated and provided with medications to hold them over until their next follow up visit with a local doctor. Several patients were referred to specialists.
The Global Medic Team serviced a population of 18961 refugees, assessed and treated 4132 patients in 15 refugee camps. The teams also dispensed more than $40,000 worth of pharmaceuticals.
Water Sanitation Component
The relief component consisted of shipping relief items and dispatching a rapid relief team to the island. Relief items were donated to the Consul General of Sri Lanka in the Toronto office and subsequently shipped to Sri Lanka through their contacts. DMGF donated over $10000 dollars worth of potable water and related items in the first shipping consignment.
DMGF paid for a portion airline ticket of its water expert to respond from Whitehorse . Our water sanitation expert donated his time and expertise. A risk assessment was completed on the town of Batticoloa 's water supply, over 50 village wells were cleaned, and training sessions were delivered to local staff, volunteers, and mine clearance personnel involved in the resettlement of villagers.
The town of Batticoloa provides water to over 150 000 people. Our risk assessment revealed a number of risk factors including the manifestation of E-colli. The town water supply was operating at a level more than its cleaning capacity allowed. Our specialist advised the authorities at the local water board and conducted inspections alongside local staff. A formal report was provided to the local and national water authorities as well as the NGOs concerned with water sanitation. Appendix F provides a copy of this report.
Village wells in the area were cleaned, desalinated, chemically shocked, and pumped out. We sourced local providers of chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, water pumps, sludge pumps, and generators.
Our water expert trained a local group of volunteers in the art of cleaning their wells. Volunteers completed their training sessions, practiced alongside our staff, and were sent off to clean other wells with chemical kits and testers. Landmine clearance staff previously trained by the team as paramedics in November 2003, received similar training and equipment.
We conducted a quality assurance program by having our expert test rehabilitated wells. Several large volume batches of water were cleaned and used for distribution to various refugee camps. Local workers will employ their new found knowledge and equipment to help their neighbours in cleaning wells throughout the region. Refer to Appendix D for a detailed listing and geographical location of a random sampling of some of the wells treated and tested and the list of staff trained. Our water team hired a local civilian as a supervisor to translate and carry on the cleaning program after our departure.
A total of 480 wells were cleaned and declared usable by our team. We left behind enough equipment and chemicals to desalinate an additional 1000 wells. By targeting larger wells used by the broader community and wells in temples that are also accessed by the larger community, our team managed to easily reach its target of returning clean water to over 100,000 people.
A profound sense of community developed within our team of volunteers. They would clean the wells of private homeowners who would then give free water to their neighbours until their own wells could be cleaned. People receiving clean water would volunteer to help our team clean their own and other community wells.
Summary
The Global Medic Team's mission was quite successful. We managed to get a team on the ground quickly following the Tsunami. Our team was plugged into the nerve center of operations being coordinated through the UNDP which made it easier for us to deploy our resources. Our team members worked very long hours in difficult conditions and managed to achieve some very admirable results. The final results are as follows:
* 4136 patients treated
* Over $40,000 worth of pharmaceuticals donated
* Clinic built in Saukkady
* Trained 68 people in well rehabilitation
* Cleaned 480 wells returning clean water to over 110,000 civilians
Total budget of $ 14,550
Rapid Response Team
Mr. Rahul Singh, Team Leader
Certification: EMT, EMCA
License #: OASIS –10949
Summary: Currently a paramedic with Toronto EMS, over 15 years experience
International missions include Nepal , Cambodia , Sri Lanka , Grenada
Mr. Carl Rotmann, Paramedic
Certification: Advanced Care Paramedic, EMCA, PALS, BTLS
License #: OASIS – 10447
Summary: Currently a paramedic with Toronto EMS, 4 years experience
Advanced BTLS Instructor, Award of Valour, Chair RLSSO
Mr. Reuben Driedger, Clinical Coordinator
Certification: Critical Care Paramedic, Advanced Care Paramedic, Flight Paramedic
License #: Member Alberta College of Paramedics
Summary: CCEMT-P, contractor in remote work camps in UAE
Suturing, prescriptions, remote Artic experience
Mr. Rene Steinhauer, RN / Paramedic
Certification: RN, EMT-P, TNCC, ACLS, PALS, BCLS, PALS
License #: RN California # 559384, Paramedic California # P01790
Summary: RN/ Paramedic, 12 years experience, military instructor, flight nurse
International experience Iraq , Guyana , Rwanda
Mr. David Hutcheon, Paramedic
Certification: Advanced Care Paramedic, EMCA
License #: OASIS – 45300
Summary: Currently a paramedic with Toronto EMS, 22 years experience
Tactical training, PALS, ACLS, scuba instructor
Ms. Jessica-Layne Gillespie, Paramedic
Certification: A-EMCA
License #: OASIS – 10473
Summary: Currently a paramedic with Niagara EMS, 8 years experience
Mrs. Helen Clarkson-Robinson, Paramedic
Certification: EMCA, Hon. B.Sc
License #: OASIS – 88975
Summary: Currently a paramedic with Niagara EMS, 4 years experience
Dr. Karl Kabasele, MD
Certification: Medical Doctor, Master's Public Health from Harvard
Former Toronto Medical Officer of Health with Toronto Public Health
Summary: Broad Public Health knowledge, experience in Africa, Grenada , Cambodia
