Global Medic is the operational arm of the David McAntony Gibson Foundation (DMGF), a registered Canadian charity that runs capacity building programs in post conflict nations and provides disaster relief services to large scale catastrophes around the world. Global Medic operates a Rapid Response Team (RRT) that is staffed by professional rescuers including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics who volunteer their time to respond overseas. The RRT operates a Rescue Unit designed to save disaster victims; a Water Purification Unit designed to provide clean drinking water to disaster victims; and an Emergency Medical Unit that uses inflatable field hospitals to restore medical infrastructure.
Over the past 4 years, Global Medic Teams have deployed to over 20 international disasters including Hurricanes in Grenada and Guatemala; Earthquakes in Pakistan and Indonesia; Tsunamis in Sri Lanka and the Solomon Islands; Typhoons in the Philippines; and Floods in Pakistan and Indonesia.
Currently, a six member Rapid Response Team is working in Bangladesh alongside Muslim Aid. Heavy rains, an early start to the Monsoon season, and a series of tumultuous weather has resulted in widespread flooding affecting over 20 million people. Over 52% of the country is underwater and more than 7 million civilians have been displaced.
Global Medic has deployed an inflatable field hospital in the city of Sirajganj, 140 km northwest of Dhaka. The hospital is staffed local doctors and nurses and is currently treating over 1550 patients daily. The care they are providing is free of charge. Global Medic has donated the hospital, medical equipment and enough essential medicines to treat 30,000 patients. To date over 5500 patients have been treated. An alarmingly high percentage of patients are presenting with signs of water borne disease. The threat of an outbreak is imminent. A large scale water purification system has been set up to support the hospital, provide patients, staff and local residents with access to clean water.
The team has also started to distribute 2.8 million water purification tablets. The tablets provide immediate access to clean water to flood victims in an attempt to stave off the outbreak of deadly water borne diseases.
Ten portable water purification units are being installed in isolated areas where people have been cut off from aid. Typical sites for installation are schools where displaced persons are taking refuge. Each unit can provide over 1000 people a day with clean water.
A large scale water purification system has been set up capable of purifying over 140,000 litres of water daily. Bladder carrying trucks are constantly being filled in a coordinated effort to distribute clean water. Local residents line up to fill their newly donated jerry cans.
Daily, Global Medic can provide over 100,000 civilians with clean drinking water and treat more than 1500 patients.
Members of the media can contact the team in Bangladesh on the mobile phone at 011880-1713247669 - contact Matt Capobianco. Or via email: mcapobianco@dmgf.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
