Download - April 29, 2009 Report
Federal Tax ID Number: 59-3779465 2381 Hylan Blvd, Suite 13B, Staten Island, NY 10306, USA.
www.TheIMHO.org Tel: 718-667 3535; Fax: 718-667 3536
Email: [email protected]
April29,2009DearFriends,Thechallengesfacedbyhundredsofthousandsofciviliansinwar‐tornNortheastSriLankacontinuetoexpand,reachingalarmingnewlevelswithinthepastweekandputtinganenormousstrainonhospitalsintheregion.Arecentflare‐upinviolenceintheaffectedareashasleadtoasignificantlyhighernumberofcasualtiesandinjuries,accordingtolocalhealthofficialswhohavereportedscenesofgeneralpanicandfearespeciallywithinthelast10days.Therehasbeenheavyfightinginandaroundmanyareaswheretherearehospitals,addingfurtherstresstothosedoctorsandhealthcareproviderstryingdesperatelytoservethosewithurgenthealthandmedicalneeds.Hospitalsareoperatingfarbeyondtheircapacities:
• MannarHospitalhasacapacityof200patients,butitiscurrentlyservingover1,200• VavuniyaHospitalhasacapacityof600patients,butitiscurrentlyservingover1,500• MullivaikkalHospitalhasbeenoverwhelmedwithover700patients• ValaiyarmadamHospitalhasreceivedhundredsofnewpatientsinrecentdays,as
PuthumathalanHospitalwasclosedduetoshellingDuetotheescalationinviolence,shipmentsoffoodandmedicineshavenotbeenabletoreachthoseremainingintheconflictzones.NoteventheWorldFoodProgrammehasbeenabletogetthroughinmanydays,andthereisnowordonwhenitwillbeabletodosonext.FoodshortageisamajorproblemaffectingtheIDPcampsaswell.Over165,000needimmediatefoodsuppliestosustainthemduringthishumanitariancrisis.Sadly,manyeldershavediedinthelastfewdaysofstarvationandmalnutrition‐relateddiseases,furthercompactingthisfoodscarcityproblemfirstreportedinJanuary.Localofficialstellusthatbottledwater,biscuits,andglucoseareinshortsupplyintheIDPcamps.SomevolunteerswhohavemadeittotheIDPcampshavereportedthatmanypatientsarephysicallyunabletodoanythingontheirown,astheyareincrediblyweakandclingingtolife.SeveralNGOs,likeIMHO,havebeendoingeverythingpossibletogetlife‐savingnutritiontothosemostinneed.Theshortageofmedicinesisalsohavingdisastrousconsequences.Dozenshavediedunnecessarilyduetothenon‐availabilityofbloodtransfusionservices,poortreatmentfacilities,andashortageofantibioticsandothermedicines.Alackofhospitalbeds,particularlyforpost‐oppatients,hasbeenarepeatedrequest,arequestthatIMHOisnowanswering.Requestsformattressesforthousandsofpatientssleepingoutsideonthegroundofvarioushospitalshavealsobeenmade.IMHOishopingtohelpaddressthisneedaswell.Thereisalsoaneedforwheelchairs,crutches,andemergencymedicalsupplies.WeareworkingwithGivingChildrenHope,alocalreliefINGObasedinBuenaPark,Californiatogetashipmentof50hospitalbedsshippedouttoSriLankatobenefitMannarHospital.Withyourimmediatesupport,wecangetthisshipmentoutearlynextweekandpurchasemattresseslocallyinColombo,tobesentall‐at‐oncetobenefitpatientsatMannar.PleasevisitGCH’swebsiteatwww.gchope.orgtocontributedirectlytothisshipment,ormakeadonationtoIMHOeitherthroughourwebsite(www.TheIMHO.org)orbysendingacheckto:IMHOTreasurer,POBox61265,StatenIsland,NewYork10306.Thankyou!!Sincerely,TheIMHOTeam
