Syrian refugees desperate for medical aid

From Muhammad Basir Roslan

IDLIB (Syria), April 18 (Bernama) -- Millions of war refugees in Syria, especially children and pregnant women, are desperately in need of supplementary vitamins and medical aid particularly those suffering from cholera (diseases caused by contaminated food and water).

Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisation (Mapim) chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Sani Araby Al Kahery said although the Council had mobilised Ambulans Wakaf Mapim Malaysia assisted by voluntary doctors from the Turkish medical agency, Shifa El Amal, via cooperation for the past four years, yet they were inadequate to tackle all emergency cases as well as the medical needs of the refugees in Syria.

“There are more than six million stranded refugees and the number is increasing daily, where the existing three units of Ambulans Wakaf Mapim Malaysia are still inadequate to handle all emergency cases and health needs here especially involving medical aid for cholera and vitamin supplements for pregnant women.

"Our ambulance service for the time being only have five voluntary doctors at the most from Shifa El Amal at any one time offering services including emergency cases when the need arises and the mobile clinics to the refugee camps every weekend,” he told Bernama when the Mapim delegation visited Al Khair camp in the Bir Hassan district to hand over medical aid to the refugees here, today.

For the record, Sani Araby said the number of Ambulans Wakaf Mapim Malaysia previously was seven but two of them were placed in Gaza, Palestine to assist the needs of the war refugees there, while two others were destroyed by bombs by the enemy regime several years ago and had killed several people who were in the vehicles.

"Malaysians need to continue channeling aid in the form of cash to the Syrian Humanitarian Rescue Aid Mission via www.tabungsyria.com or Maybank 5628-3463-6987 (Syria Emergency Appeal) because we notice there is a need to increase medical supplies as well as the existing number of ambulances so that we can continue to improve services provided to the refugees in the country,” said Sany Araby.

Meanwhile, another Shifa El Amal doctor who only wished to be known as Dr Yusuf said the small number of his team members and limited medical supplies were among the greatest challenge faced by the sick refugees who needed medical consultation.

“Besides cholera cases which form the most number of cases faced by refugees here as well as supplementary vitamin aid for pregnant women, our team of doctors also faced difficulties in terms of manpower as well as limited medical supplies because every time we stop at any camp, there would be at least 500 people with various pressing needs according to the ailments they were suffering from.

"However, we express our deepest gratitude to Mapim which had supplied three units of ambulances for our team to enter the refugee camps, as well as Malaysians who had contributed cash which had significantly facilitated our work here in terms of purchasing medical supplies,”he said when met at Al Khair camp.

-- BERNAMA