ID :
464824
Mon, 10/09/2017 - 09:35
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A Merciful Mission to Help The Rohingya Refugees

By Cecilia Jeyanthi Victor KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Long lines of barefooted sarong-clad men and women holding their toddlers could be seen queuing under the scorching sun at the static clinics operated by Mercy Malaysia at the Balukali and Tenkali refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district. They are the Rohingyas, the world’s most prosecuted minority, awaiting medical assistance that many have never received even before they were displaced from Myanmar’s restive Rakhine state. Their exodus from Myanmar had brought about a serious refugee crisis to their densely populated and resource-strapped neighbor, Bangladesh. According to an Al-Jazeera report, since the crackdown on the Rohingya by Myanmar’s army began on Aug 25, an estimated 501,800 Rohingya people have fled their villages in what has been described as “textbook ethnic cleansing” by the Myanmar government. While most nations are hesitant about accepting them, Bangladesh has opened her doors to the refugees into the Cox’s Bazar district, an area bordering Myanmar. It is heartfelt to note that the host country is willing to cater to the needs of the displaced people though the nation lacked the funds and resources to assist them. Thus, international aid workers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including MERCY Malaysia have been actively providing relief efforts at refugee makeshift camps setup by the Bangladeshi government. A BAPTISM OF FIRE FOR DR MYELONE In an whatsapp interview with Bernama, Dr Myelone Tharmaseelan a volunteer with MERCY Malaysia which operates two static clinics, at Balukali and Tenkali respectively, along with a local NGO called Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust (COAST), provided some insights into the plight of the refugees. The other Malaysians in the team are Dr Norherah Syed Omar and medical assistant T.Sochkalingam. There is a shortage of almost everything – food, clean water, accommodation, sanitation, medication, etc. “For two days the clinics set up by MERCY ran out of medications and had to close earlier as the crowd was overwhelming,” said the 28-year-old doctor. Despite replenishing their medical stocks daily, there is still shortage due to the acute demand. “We are reduced to giving only symptomatic treatment, which is not good enough because everyone in the family is sick,” said Dr Myelone, who alternates between the Balukali and Tenkali clinics on different days. The doctor also said the situation at the camps was also chaotic, with incidents of refugees fighting to beat the queues to receive medical treatment being common. They appear impatient, restless and unsure of the fate that awaits them if they are forced to return. REFUGEES FACE SERIOUS HEALTH WOES Asked what were some of the common medical problems of the refugees, Dr Myelone said there were just too many, including life-threatening diseases. “You can divide them into communicable disease and the non-communicable ones, the communicable ones are like upper respiratory infection, dysentery and gastroenteritis,” he explained. “The non-communicable ones are so many such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, malnutrition, just to name a few,” he added. Dr Myelone adds that malnutrition is also a cause for concern. “There are so many malnourished children, their growth will be distorted and they will suffer from the long-term impact,” he said. “But there is only so much we can do here. Thus, people need to know what is really going on here. Lifting a finger to help could mean the world to them.” The doctor also found that some refugees had come with gastric pains as they had not eaten a proper meal for six months, while some have a history of stroke with neurology weakness. A FULFILLING TASK Dr Myelone, who was on his fifth day at the camp when the interview was conducted, said his day-to-day responsibilities were an overwhelming experience and he would not trade it for anything else. “On Sunday, I was working alone at Tenkali and received 100 patients. On Monday I was in Balukali with the Medical Assistant and together we saw about 300 patients,” he added. “As a doctor, you must have empathy and sympathy, you do what you have to for these refugees with whatever resources available.” “All they want is a shoulder to lean on and a doctor to treat them, which I actually look forward to everyday.” Dr Myelone expressed that every encounter with the refugees was an eye opener and would evoke his emotions. TOUCHING MOMENTS Within five days of his stint there, Dr Myelone has gone through a number of heart-rendering moments. One involved a meeting with a male toddler. The boy was left all alone with his mother after his dad was believed to have been killed during escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. “This was the cutest kid I have ever met. He was so worried that I was going to steal his banana, oblivious to the fact that he had lost his father. It must be very hard for a single parent to raise a kid in such a harsh environment,” he said of the boy’s fate. The Malaysian public’s outreach towards the Rohingya community is equally important, stresses the doctor. “Service to mankind is service to God,” he said ending the interview with Bernama. Dr Myelone’s service at the camps will end on Oct 11. MORE DOCTORS TO HELP IN MISSION On Oct 3, MERCY president Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus said the NGO would be deploying some 60 medical personnel to two Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh in the next six months as reported by Bernama. He said in view of the drastic influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh due to the violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, urgent medical attention needed to be given to pregnant women and children as there might be a cholera outbreak and other water borne diseases. "MERCY which will be operating from Balukali and Tenkali refugee camps would need some RM5 million to provide healthcare to the Rohingya. "While we hope the situation will improve in the next few months through better coordination among government, military, United Nations agencies as well as civil societies, the reality is the camps will be in deplorable conditions," he said at a press conference at MERCY ‘s headquarters, here recently. He said the Bangladeshi health ministry would be conducting mass cholera vaccination soon to 500,000 refugees, and MERCY would assist in terms of medical assistance and to address the water, sanitary and hygiene concerns. -- BERNAMA

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