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http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/initiative/update/annual-report-20102011
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Photo: Dr. Martina C. Fuchs, RMF Founder/CEO, making new friends at the Lwala, Kenya Community Hospital, October 1, 2011
We are so grateful to all our friends, supporters and teams around the world and wish everyone a fantastic 2012!
Having wrapped up another successful we want to pause and say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who supported our work in 2011. You have helped us achieve so much, and we give our deep thanks to everyone for your generosity and support!
In 2011 we..
- In Japan, post-earthquake and tsunami, RMF reached over 33,000 people in Ishinomaki City with supplies, debris/sludge cleanup, and community center support.
- In India, in RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program, our field staff of 75 Community Nutrition Educators diagnosed and treated 85,016 cases of Acute Malnutrition in more than 600 villages since our program started in 2010.
- In Uganda, we provided healthcare, education and vocational training support to 55,000 refugees at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement.
- In South Sudan, 40 Nurses and Midwives at the RMF sponsored first-ever accredited Nursing and Midwifery College in Juba, are beginning their 2nd year of training.
- In Pakistan, RMF treated more than 25,000 flood victims at our free medical camps, 32,000 patients at our clinic in Gulbella and provided healthcare in Talhatta for more than 150,000.
- In Haiti, our free clinic at Hôpital Lambert Santé provided public access to 24-hour emergency and general healthcare to a community that is home to more than 100,000 displaced persons.
- In Kenya, we upgraded the only hospital for 1,000,000 people in Lodwar, Turkana, starting with the pediatric ward and also continued to provide medical support, food and water to thousands through mobile and stationary clinics in the poorest and most drought ravaged regions in Kenya.
- Closer to home, in South Los Angeles, RMF provided 70 children with new backpacks filled with school supplies and personal products, and just threw a Holiday Party for these children on December 17th.
From all of us at RMF: Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2012!
Tags: Africa, africa relief, asia, capacity building, Disaster Relief, earthquake relief, flood relief, Haiti, healthcare, India, japan, Kenya, malnutrition, non-profit, Pakistan, refugee, Related Links, RMF, south los angeles, south sudan, tsunami relief, Turkana, Uganda
We’re kicking off the New Year with a bang! Today, our founder and CEO Martina Fuchs, was honored with Lifetime Network’s Remarkable Woman award. The award spotlights extraordinary women who inspire and empower others to make a difference in their communities and the world.
Lifetime’s Remarkable Women are weekly vignettes featured on-air and online celebrating extraordinary women who inspire and encourage all of us to make a difference in our world. Salutes have included unsung heroes like Josette Perard, a community advocate working on the frontlines in Haiti after its devastating earthquake and Patsy Bates, a hairdresser from Gardena, California, who won a landmark lawsuit after her insurance company dropped her – without warning – following her breast cancer diagnosis. Other Remarkable Women vignettes have recognized household names, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Look for on-air spots and videos highlighting her extraordinary accomplishments on the Lifetime Network starting today. Can’t wait? For more on Martina’s inspirational story, visit: http://www.mylifetime.com/my-lifetime-commitment/ewc/every-women-counts-salutes/martina-fuchs
Congratulations Martina, you are remarkable indeed!
-the Team at Real Medicine Foundation
Tags: Disaster Relief, dr. martina fuchs, dr. martina fuchs lifetime, haiti hosptial, haiti medical relief, haiti rebuilding, haiti relief, haiti volunteer, lifetime award, lifetime channel award, lifetime network, martina fuchs award, remarkable woman award
Our Primary Health Care Clinic in Talhatta, north western Pakistan, has opened it’s doors to the many flood victims from the surrounding area and villages. Initial reports from our stafff are that our clinic premises are unaffected but there are many villages nearby that need help. It is fortunate we have such a well functioning clinic in one of the areas hardest hit by these recent floods.
The only other health facilities, the Balakot District Headquarters Hospital and another facility (already strained and ineffective facilities) have been severely damaged by the flooding, leaving RMF’s Talhatta clinic as the only fully functioning health facility in Balakot Valley, an area with a population of 120,000 people. Local government officials have asked RMF to be ready to accommodate the influx of patients they’re expecting. RMF held 4 outreach health camps for flood victims in the same area in 2008 and is gearing up to provide similar assistance again.
According the International Red Cross, two and a half million people have been affected by the devastating floods in north-west Pakistan with at least 1,100 people dead and thousands have lost everything.
“In the worst-affected areas, entire villages were washed away without warning by walls of flood water,” the Red Cross said in a statement. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10834414)
With the strong local support and network we have built in this region over the past two years, we are thankful that the Real Medicine team is ready and able to respond to this latest situation. We will update with further news as it comes in from our staff in the field. Caitlin McQuilling, RMF’s Director of Programs for Pakistan/India, was just recently visiting our clinic in Talhatta a couple of weeks ago. See Caitlin’s blog entry about our clinic here: http://www.realmedicineblog.com/2010/07/11/8693/
As always we can use any additional support you can provide to ensure that our clinic is able to handle this huge increase in patient demand.
For more information about the clinic and our initiative in north western Pakistan, visit: RMF Talhatta Clinic Initiative
If you’d like to donate to this or any of Real Medicine’s causes, you can click the donate button on this page or through our website at realmedicinefoundation.org
Tags: BBC, clinic, Disaster Relief, flood, flood victims pakistan, flooding, healthcare, how to help pakistani flood, medical care, north west pakistan, Pakistan, pakistan aid, pakistan food, pakistan medicine
Primary Care Clinic, Yayawatta,Tangalle, Sri Lanka
The clinic that started it all off for RMF, more than 5 years ago in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, continues to thrive and provide, community outreach and health education programs to Yayawatta Village and the surrounding areas. These areas have still barely gotten back on their feet after the complete destruction of many surrounding villages and infrastructure 5 years ago by the Tsunami. The clinic’s main beneficiaries include the population of Seenimodara, Kadurupokuna and Palapotha.
Having this convenient access to free healthcare is especially important for the areas young mothers, children, and the elderly. During the last 3 month period of March, April and May a total of 642 patients were evaluated and treated at our free clinic. The diseases we see most frequently here are upper and lower respiratory tract infections, viral fevers, gastrointestinal tract infections, heart disease, hypertensive disorders, skin diseases and different forms of arthritis.
Our staff also periodically conducts field visits of the Nursing Officer from the Government Health Authority which continues to provide important information for mothers about proper methods of family planning.
In addition to medical treatment provided we also periodically conduct community outreach programs and are preparing to throw a Health is Wealth program during the upcoming traditional festival season. We are hoping to have all the communities participate in this event with Drama, Art, and Essay competitions for both children and adults.
Some of our recent patients treated at the clinic:
Amila
Amila is a regular visitor to our clinic. He comes often and usually spends his time watching the activities at the clinic. He is featured in the photo above, wearing a red shirt. After the Tsunami he started suffering from depression and had changed completely from his old self. He also started engaging in destructive behaviors and was going out with friends who were abusing alcohol and smoking. After drinking he would frequently get into fights and quarrels with neighbors and family. After being alerted to Amila’s changing personality, RMF’s Medical Consultant, Dr. Chamal, spent hours with him, counseling him and giving him necessary treatments and now, according to Amila and his family, he has finally gained some normalcy and direction in his life.
Nuwan Kumara
This is 3-year-old Nuwan Kumara from Kadurupokuna. His mother had come to the clinic to have him treated for an allergic reaction, including a red rash on his face, hands and body. His mother complained that he had been scratching his face and hands after eating fish for dinner. Dr. Chamal subscribed a medical ointment to treat Nuwan’s allergy and after 3 weeks of treatment the allergy has gradually subsided and the rash has disappeared.
Hasini Malisha
Hasini Malisha is the 14-year-old daughter of Mrs. Samanthie who works at our Clinic. She had been suffering from an enlargement of her thyroid glands. She started having fainting attacks and was rushed to the Real Medicine Clinic at Yayawatta to be consulted by Medical Consultant, Dr. Chamal. He prescribed treatment to control the attacks and made arrangements to consult the Senior Surgeon, Medical Consultant Dr. Percy Dias immediately.
Two blood samples were sent to Colombo to check her TSH and T4 levels. Medication was prescribed following the tests with the advice to continue the treatment and after 1½ months to return to the clinic for follow up blood samples and reports. Hasini Malisha is feeling much better with the treatment.
Miss K.G. Maggie
Miss. K. G. Maggie is an elderly woman from Kadurupokuna. She has been a regular patient at the Real Medicine Clinic. She has great difficulty walking ever since a tragic fall many years ago that dislocated her hip bone. Recently she was very sick and could not make the journey to the Clinic and had pleaded with Dr. Chamal to come see her at her home. When Dr Chamal visited her he found her in very bad condition with severe swelling and redness in the lower part of her legs. Dr. Chamal diagnosed her with cellulitis and treated Maggie with strong antibiotics, continued observation. She could be cured without admission to the local hospital, which Maggie was very grateful for.
Read more about our first clinic at: http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/initiative/primary-care-clinic-yayawatta-isp-tsunami-village-seenimodara-tangalle
Tags: child's health, children, clinic, Disaster Relief, maternal health, primary health care, Sri Lanka, tangalle, tsunami, yayawatta
By Kevin Connell and Jonathan White
This series of video clips was shot by RMF’s Kevin Connell in the St. Pierre Square tent camp in Petionville, an upper-class neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. This is a small tent camp set up in a public square but one of the largest tent camps in the city is located on a nearby golf course with an estimated 50,000 people occupying. Voluntary settlements like these were setup in virtually every square or open space in the city after the disaster. These clips gives you a little more insight into the living conditions that most of the Haitians displaced by the earthquake are still dealing with. Little has been done to create any longer term housing solutions, but as you can see from these video clips the Haitian’s are still making the best of a very tough situation.
http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/video/interview-with-evens
http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/video/can-i-see-your-place
http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/video/on-the-way-to-evens-home
The man being interviewed is Edwin, he’s in his early 20’s, originally from Carrefour, which is a poorer neighborhood nearer to the coast, but had moved to Petionville when he was younger. Edwin has finished high school where he learned English (spoke fluently) and had done apprenticeship training to be a mechanic. He said he wasn’t working because there were no jobs available if you don’t know someone or aren’t connected to someone in a position to hire you – kind of the extreme of our unemployment situation here in the US.
Edwin said his time is now focused on taking care of his family, with 6 brothers and sisters. They all live in the tent shown in the final clip, which is small to say the least. He didn’t mention how many family members had died in the disaster, but did say that his entire extended family was living in the tents and therefore homeless: aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. As you can hear in the clips, he references the government as the source of most of the problems, and does not hold out much hope for their ability to lead in the reconstruction. One surprising thing was that he didn’t seem to hold any complaints for the international community, which was found to be pretty common. When Kevin asked him what he would say to America, he simply thanked the US for our support.
Life in the community
All the people were very welcoming and friendly, which was a little surprising, given their predicament. The community had truly carved out a life in that square and things appeared “normal” for them, which really highlighted their adversity/resourcefulness, but also their general acceptance of the dire situation around them. They were mostly busy doing laundry or taking care of their kids. Many of the kids were studying out of textbooks. They all lit up when Kevin said he was from America – they apparently have high hopes for our role in the reconstruction.
Tags: Disaster Relief, earthquake, Haiti, Lambert Santé, Port-au-Prince, tent city
Real Medicine Foundation: Haiti Earthquake Relief:
Michael Lear
Real Medicine Foundation is presently assembling a logistic and medical team to deploy as early as Sunday evening to aid in the efforts on the ground in Haiti.
The recent report from the Pan American Health Organization/WHO highlights the main challenges facing the massive humanitarian effort underway.
Please DONATE to help us help Haiti
Emergency Operations Center Situation Report #1
Haiti Earthquake
One day after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, information is still difficult to obtain. The PAHO/WHO office in Haiti has been unable to communicate with national health authorities and UN colleagues. For the time being, information is being coordinated through the PAHO/WHO Emergency Operations Center in Washington. On the ground, the past 24 hours have been dedicated to search and rescue and immediate lifesaving activities.
CUMULATIVE IMPACT
• A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday afternoon, January 12, 2010, close to the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince. The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic and as far
away as Jamaica.
• Reports indicate a significant loss of life; there are no official numbers at this time but the
Haitian President has estimated 100,000 people dead or missing.
• Impact on health facilities:
o Several hospitals and health centers have collapsed in the city
− The UN clinic at the Christopher Hotel collapsed
− Martissant emergency room/centre (slum in Port au Prince, MSF managed) is damaged and unstable. All patients evacuated and relocated to tents in the ground. MSF staff have been dealing with a flow of casualties from the town.
− Solidarité maternity hospital, MSF-managed, severely damaged
− Trinité trauma centre (60 beds) MSF-managed, severely damaged
− HUEH ( University Hospital) damaged
− New hospital on Delmas damaged
− Eliazard Germain hospital (Petionville) damaged
− Petits freres et soeurs (Port au Prince) damaged
o Two hospitals were also damaged in the Dominican Republic, in Barahona and Santiago.
o The Argentine military hospital that had been serving MINUSTAH personnel is being augmented by two surgical teams and supplies provided by the Government of Argentina (White Helmets).
• The airport is currently not in service. A temporary health facility has been established there to provide care.
• Roads in Port-au-Prince are extremely difficult to navigate due to rubble and large amounts of people. Roads from the border with the Dominican Republic to the Port-au-Prince appear to be open.
• MINUSTAH (UN Security building) has collapsed causing a loss of life.
PAHO/WHO RESPONSE
• The Emergency Operations Center in Washington DC is now coordinating logistics and communication.
• Experts from the PAHO/WHO Regional Disaster Response team will arrive in the Dominican Republic this evening. They will travel to Haiti on Thursday.
• The UN Health Cluster as soon as possible.
• Supplies have been released from PROMESS, the pharmaceutical warehouse of Haiti’s Ministry of Health.
• Trauma kits to care for 500 victims for 10 days are on their way.
• PAHO/WHO has advanced USD 200,000 from its disaster response fund to initiate immediate critical activities.
• The PAHO/WHO office in Haiti has sustained damage and staff will be working out of temporary facilities until a structural assessment of the building is completed.
OTHER ACTIONS
• Many PAHO/WHO member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have offered and are mobilizing humanitarian aid to Haiti.
• USAID/OFDA office has deployed a disaster assistance response team (DART) comprised of 11 people as well as Urban Search and Rescue Teams.
• A UN Medical Emergency Response team will be sent to Haiti, including stress counselors
• All teams sent to the area must be self-sufficient in terms of food and water as well as financial means (cash) as the banking system is down.
DONATE to RMF efforts in Haiti
Tags: Disaster Relief, earthquake, Haiti
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