FIMA Year Book 2010-2011 - Federation of Islamic Medical ...

FIMA GLOBAL RELIEF
Dr. Parvaiz Malik in OR-Haiti, 2010
Todd facilitated the connection with AIMER
Haiti, a local community based organization.
Bogeux Children Park in Tibbare was converted
into a mini hospital and an urgent care outpatient
clinic. On day 5 post-earthquake, IMANA had a
team on the ground in a functioning facility. So
far, several teams of IMANA doctors from all
specialties have actively participated. A number of
non-Muslim physicians from all creeds and beliefs
have also joined the IMANA teams, giving a
diverse flavor to the effectiveness of the relief
work. Deployment of IMANA medical teams
continued through the month of March. Team
members also assisted several other medical
camps as needed. FIMA secretary Dr Tanveer
Zubairi was in Los Angeles, California (USA) and
visited the headquarters of UCP and Wheels of
Humanity in North Hollywood. He had a formal
meeting with its office bearers and its president.
Their future rehabilitation services to Haiti were
discussed.
I had the honor of representing FIMA in Haiti. I
left for Haiti on February 3 rd with my son Dr.
Imran Malik who had previously worked with me
in Pakistan during the major earthquake of 2005.
Within an hour of my arrival in the camp, I
operated on a 9 year old Haitian boy for a large
umbilical hernia. We joined the IMANA team and
performed multiple tasks at the site, where the
outpatient clinic served about 300 to 350 patients a
day for mostly primary care. Many of these
patients walked several miles to see our doctors,
some of them for the first time. Many ailments
were earthquake related, from infected necrotic
wounds to PTSDs. The lack of food, medications
and medical support has exacerbated their preexisting
medical problems. Gastro-intestinal, and
pulmonary infections exist in huge numbers. We
debrided a large number of infected wounds
caused by crush injuries. We spent the latter part
of the days, and sometimes nights, volunteering in
the General Hospital of Port-au-Prince. This
largest hospital of Haiti had only 87 beds prior to
the earthquake. Now, the building is severely
damaged and currently functions in the tents
installed in the adjacent streets.
While I was there, I had a strategic meeting with
the board members of AIMER Haiti, at Jean-
Henry and Chantal Ceant’s residence, a key figure
couple in Haiti, and discussed the long term plans
of health care provision by IMANA physicians
and probably international teams from FIMA
member countries. Various aspects of a medical
clinic in underserved area of Haiti and possibility
of a mobile clinic was discussed. I had the
opportunity to meet the USA Cable News
Network (CNN) team in Port-au-Prince and
briefed Dr. Sanjay Gupta its Senior medical
reporter and its anchorman Anderson Cooper. Our
team members also assisted actor Sean Penn in his
facility to plan and deliver medical care.
As the nation of Haiti enters the rehabilitation
stage of this major disaster, it needs medical care
in the next months and years to come. After losing
the infrastructure, the recovery is definitely far
away. The people of Haiti need our help. We must
join hands with IMANA and other NGO’s to
fulfill this goal.
Historical Events-2011:
In countries of North Africa, the Middle East and
the Horn of Africa, the year 2011 heralded major
historical events. From Tunisa (December
24 th ,2010) to Egypt (January 25 th ,2011), to Libya
(February 17 th ,2011), to Yemen ( January 15 th ,
FIMA YearBook 2010-2011 32