Mercy Malaysia to deploy in Sri Lanka

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercy Malaysia will be deploying a team to Sri Lanka to provide aid as the country struggles to cope with its worst flood in years.

“We will be deploying a team of seven members - two doctors, three nurses, a psychologist and a team leader to Sri Lanka. We have already got the approval from the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, and all paperwork for our team as well as the equipment and medications we will be taking with us has been obtained,” Mercy Malaysia’s Director of Strategic Programme Development Norazam Ab Samah told the Sun.

The team will be flying out tomorrow morning at 8am and is expected to be there by late evening.

The team will be setting up a mobile clinic in Matara and Ratnapura.

“As of yesterday, these two areas have been identified to be amongst the most affected areas. We will be coordinating with Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre,” he added.

Some of the medications and items the team will be taking with them include primary health care kits, medications for water-borne diseases, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial medications.

“We will take basic humanitarian aid items like food and water as well. The people there have also requested for mosquito nets as dengue is also prevalent there,” Norazam said.

This relief effort would cost about RM 150,000 and Mercy Malaysia is still collecting funds to assist victims there.

Meanwhile, Norazam has also been part of the team providing aid in Syria and just returned from there two weeks ago.

“Well, the Syrian government has recovered more areas and people are starting to return to their homes. But the area is badly damaged. It’s akin to areas that have been wiped out by earthquakes. There are minimal buildings and homes that are still able to be occupied. They need funds and resources to rebuild their homes, schools and hospitals,” he said.

Mercy Malaysia has been helping out in two areas — Idlib in Syria itself and another out of Lebanon and Turkish borders.

“We have a partner who is working with us in Idlib. I was personally there two weeks back and we gave out food for 1,000 families.”

In line with its efforts to raise funds to provide relief in disaster zones, Mercy Malaysia and Frost & Sullivan Malaysia, a business consulting firm, will be organising the Frost the Trail myMERCYrun 2017 which will be held at Kepong Botanical Garden, Kepong on 22 July.

This year’s charity run is themed “Warm the Hearts”, as inspired by both organisations’ common compassion for humanity. (www.thesundaily.my)