Update to work done by Direct Relief International on Janaury 17, 2005
1/17/2005
Vice President of Program Chris Brady is in Indonesia, and Program Officer Kelly Darnell has just returned home from Sri Lanka. They will provide more extensive reports this week on their specific findings, plans, and observations.
Coordination among Groups: CEO Thomas Tighe last week convened an emergency conference call of the other CEOs/executive directors of U.S.-based nonprofit organizations that are members of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (www.pqmd.org). The purpose of the call was to ensure optimal efficiency and geographic coverage in responding to the tremendous health needs in the region.
With many private groups responding to the crisis and the absence of one central coordinating entity, the potential exists for duplication of effort or over-concentration of support in a particular region, leaving other areas unaddressed.
Tighe offered that Direct Relief program staff, medical director, and chief pharmacist would share information about Direct Relief’s activities and plans with all other PQMD members, each of which provides medical resources as at least part of its program activities.
Respecting that each of these private, nonprofit organizations has its own mission, philosophy, practices, contacts, and discretion, Direct Relief believes that the overall assistance effort for people in the tsunami-affected regions will be best served by self-directed information sharing and coordination among organizations responding to the emergency.
Because of the high degree of public attention to the medical needs that exist and are anticipated in the tsunami-affected areas, PQMD issued an advisory regarding pharmaceutical donations to the region as a public service. (To read the advisory, click here.) In previous emergencies, some well-intentioned donations of medical products have been inappropriate for the circumstances. PQMD endorses the guidelines established by the World Health Organization.
Direct Relief’s Director of Philanthropic Investment, Anthoula Randopoulos, is the current chair of PQMD.
Three-week Update: Direct Relief’s response in the three weeks following the tsunami has been the completion of 13 separate shipments to India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
These shipments have contained over 57,000 lbs. (27.5 tons) of medicines, supplies, instruments, and equipment – each item specifically requested for use by trained medical professionals working in tsunami-affected areas.
The wholesale value of these materials is $5,912,172.
Direct Relief has received $6.2 million in financial contributions specifically designated for the tsunami relief effort.
As of today, Direct Relief has developed plans to spend approximately $1.324 million in cash from designated funds for the following items:
* Airfreight transportation – $55,000 has been spent to pay for emergency airfreight shipments of medicines and supplies. Additional ground (inbound to Direct Relief) and air freight transportation (outbound to Asia) has been donated by FedEx.
* Purchase of Medicines/Equipment/Supplies – $415,207 has been spent or is planned to be spent to buy medicines, supplies, and equipment. Of this amount, $150,207 has already been spent, and another $265,000 is planned to be spent.
Donations from pharmaceutical companies, which have been enormously supportive of Direct Relief’s efforts to date, may obviate the need to spend the $265,000. If this occurs, the funds will be redirected to other priority areas.
* Purchase of Mobile Medical Units/Ambulances – $714,000 has been allocated to procure emergency medical vehicles to enable medical professionals in Sri Lanka and Indonesia to provide emergency medical transport and services.
In Sri Lanka, these vehicles will be used by the medical staff of International Medical Corps and VeAhavta who are working in Eastern Province.
In Indonesia, the vehicles will be used by IMC Indonesian and volunteer U.S medical staff who are providing surgical and emergency room services, including both general practitioners and public health specialists. These funds will also pay for two chartered boats to provide medical services in remote areas inaccessible by 4WD vehicle on Sumatra’s coast.
* Purchase of Emergency Nutritional Supplements – $20,000 was spent to procure high protein nutritional products in India for internally displaced persons from the coastal regions.
The above figures do not include other incidental costs directly related to the response that have been incurred. For example, the travel expenses of Brady and Darnell will be charged to tsunami-designated funds, but their salaries during the period of their travel will not. Those costs existed before the disaster and are part of Direct Relief’s core programmatic expenses.
Please note that these figures are unaudited – the intent is to share what Direct Relief’s activities, plans, and costs are associated with the response.
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1/13/2005
Indonesia: Direct Relief staff has completed packing a 28-pallet shipment destined for Indonesia. The list of items was prepared by physicians and medical staff in Indonesia working for the International Medical Corps (www.imcworldwide.org) and approved by Indonesian authorities for importation.
The shipment contains, among other items: antibiotics (amoxicillin, Levaquin, Lorabid, Floxin, Augmentin, and doxycycline), vitamins, analgesics, casting material, IV solution, surgical instruments, bandages, tape, gauze, gloves, an autoclave, stethoscopes, and blood pressure units.
This shipment of 16,000 lbs (eight tons) will be transported via commercial air cargo on China Airlines. Transportation costs will be paid from designated tsunami funds. Designated funds were also used to purchase certain requested items not in Direct Relief’s current inventory. The wholesale value of the materials included in this shipment is $1.136 million.
IMC staff reported that mobile medical clinics were needed to deliver services to displaced persons in Aceh who were reluctant to stay in camps where services can be concentrated. The reluctance was reportedly due to concerns about retaining possession of the land on which their homes stood before being destroyed by the tsunami.
Direct Relief also has approved purchase with tsunami-designated funds of two mobile medical units for use in Aceh.
Sri Lanka: Direct Relief Vice President of Programs Chris Brady and Program Officer Kelly Darnell reported from Galle, Sri Lanka, where they are travelling with Dr. Ariyaratne, executive director of Sarvodaya.
Darnell reported that the degree of devastation was indescribable. Galle is the fourth-largest city in Sri Lanka and suffered severe damage from the tsunami. Darnell and Brady visited a camp where displaced persons were being housed and saw one of the mass graves in which victims were buried.
Brady and Darnell also met with the Galle Medical Association, Sri Lankan physicians who work at the the Galle Teaching Hospital and treated many of the trauma victims injured in the tsunami. The doctors described the types of injuries suffered and commented that many who survived the first wave, but suffered serious injury were then killed by the second wave one hour later because they were unable to move themselves to safety.
Darnell and Brady also stated that, as was reported from Indonesia, families in camps wish to leave as soon as possible and reclaim their land and spend daylight hours on their property, collecting and organizing rubble in anticipation of rebuilding.
Direct Relief authorized the purchase with tsunami-designated funds of two ambulances for the Order of St. John Ambulance Brigade to improve service to the coastal regions.
On Saturday, January 15, it is expected that the Government of Sri Lanka will release its initial report on its assessment of the tsunami damage and initial reconstruction and development plan.
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1/10/2005
Sri Lanka: Vice President of Programs Chris Brady and Program Officer Kelly Darnell reported from Sri Lanka.
They report that the Colombo airport has received a tremendous inflow of material aid, which is being offloaded with the help of U.S. Marines and being stored in two hangars. The Direct Relief-provided emergency medical items sent on a donated FedEx plane arrived securely.
As noted in earlier reports, Direct Relief's packing list, including quantities, were reviewed and pre-approved prior to shipment by Ministry officials.
Darnell reports that some donations arrived consigned to, but without the previous knowledge of, the Ministry of Health. This has created both a space and processing challenge. Ministry health personnel, including the Ministry pharmacists, have been assigned to the airport to assess and direct the extraordinary amount of product.
Brady and Darnell are meeting today with Ministry officials to assess immediate and near-term medical needs.
Yesterday, Brady and Darnell, both of whom served in the Peace Corps met with Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, executive director of Sarvodaya. Sarvodaya is a Sri Lankan NGO that conducts extensive community-based programs. It received Direct Relief's initial emergency shipment, which has been deployed, and the materials are in use.
Dr. Ariyaratne, who received his MPH from Johns Hopkins University, advised that Sarvodaya is directly managing 90 camps for internally displaced persons, more than 10 percent of the 850 such camps that have been established in the past two weeks.
Sarvodaya is trying to get these internally displaced people to move into communities as soon as possible and has established a cash-for-work program within the camps.
As a result of the infusion of financial and in-kind support that has arrived, Sarvodaya formed a special finance committee to oversee the manner in which the resources are allocated. Dr. Ariyaratne advised that they are being selective with regard to partnerships, given the challenges that exist.
Dr. Ariyaratne also briefed Brady and Darnell on particular sensitivities that exist with regard to the current situation in Sri Lanka. Brady and Darnell will travel with Dr. Ariyaratne tomorrow to visit Sarvodaya-run facilities for displaced persons.
Brady and Darnell also met with the Order of St. John's Ambulance Brigade, which requested assistance in obtaining additional both critically needed medical supplies and ambulances to serve the coastal areas. The Order of St. John provides first-aid training throughout Sri Lanka and is providing primary care in many of the camps. Direct Relief will assist the Ambulance Brigade with medical product and funds received for tsunami-relief efforts.
Brady and Darnell also met with Sri Lankan Rotary leaders. Rotary and other private sector members in Sri Lanka have been instrumental in the early response efforts to the tsunami.
Indonesia: Direct Relief has now received two comprehensive lists of medical material required in Aceh province, which reportedly has suffered the most extensive loss of life and damage among all tsunami-affected areas. Direct Relief medical and warehouse staff has begun packing these orders from current inventories. Staff has also solicited product donations for specifically requested medicnes and surgical instruments.
The medicinal items on the needs list include: diarrhea/gastrointestinal medicines such as Andicap, Oraline, and Dialet; first aid supplies such as antiseptics, sterile dressings, and bandages; antibiotics such as amoxillin, ampicillin, and salpenol; medicines to treat skin ailments such as salicyl powder, skin salve, fluocinonide ointment, and isondine ointment; and vitamins such as vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and vitamin B1.
Somalia: Program Officer Christienne Durbin received a report from the Hargeisa Hospital Group, an ongoing partner in Somalia, that they are treating 55 people injured from the tsunami from Puntland, the region in Somalia most affected by the natural disaster.
Dr. Abdillahi of the Hargeisa Hospital group visited the area and is putting together a needs list. They expressed an initial need for I.V solutions, needles, and surgical gloves, among other items.
Durbin is also continuing to follow-up with several other Somali organizations seeking assistance with providing medical aid to tsunami victims.
