Monday, December 26, 2005
DOW Continues Recovery Efforts One Year After Devastating Tsunami
Hambantota District, Sri Lanka – The tsunami that struck South Asia and East Africa on December 26, 2004 claimed over 31,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the region. In the aftermath, the Doctors of the World/Medecins du Monde (MDM) International Network mobilized to bring emergency medical and psychosocial services to survivors. MDM sister sections from France, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal were on the ground in Sri Lanka and Indonesia providing critical emergency relief during the acute phase of this terrible crisis.
Today, one year after the tsunami, Doctors of the World – USA (DOW) staff are working with local partners in Sri Lanka to ensure the long-term health recovery needs of survivors in the hard-hit Hambantota district are realized. Working closely with resident health providers and the local Ministry of Health, DOW is:
Rehabilitating and equipping rural health facilities. DOW’s rehabilitation plans include electrical re-wiring of the hospitals, new bathrooms, modifications for handicap accessibility, and renovations of staff quarters. DOW is also providing badly needed basic medical equipment and furniture to Nakulugamuwa and Ranna Rural Hospitals in the Hambantota district. We will equip the hospitals with basic lab facilities that will be operated by a lab technician from the Deputy Director of Health Services (DPDHS) of Hambantota.
Training health providers. To improve the quality of health services DOW will train medical staff at the rural hospitals — including doctors, nurses and midwives to increase capacity in emergency care, reproductive health, and clinic management. Public Health Inspectors and Midwives in Hambantota district will also be trained in these issues. Training modules are currently being developed.
Providing community-based health services. To ensure access to primary care services for a marginalized mentally-ill population, DOW has partnered with a local mental health organization that provides mental health services in the community to offer key integrated care and support.
Implementing Community health education. To improve health promotion, prevention, treatment and referral activities, DOW is developing a community health education initiative in the project district. DOW has formed 12 village health committees that identify emerging health needs and organize DOW health education workshops. Health education topics include basic hygiene and sanitation, oral hygiene, reproductive health care for men and women, and first aid.
Though the cameras are long gone, DOW’s continued presence will help ensure the future health of tsunami-affected populations, as systems are rebuilt and local capacities developed. Likewise, the ongoing work of MDM France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Argentina in Sri Lanka, and France, Spain and Greece in Indonesia is truly enabling DOW/MDM to permanently improve the lives and health of survivors.