Category: Disaster Relief

Change

The destruction left behind by Hurricane Maria is still very evident on the island. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

Overlooking the town of Emajagua, where Hurricane Maria first made landfall. Some of the worst destruction is in the southern coastal region.

A basketball court’s roof destroyed by the storm in the town Emajagua

There are downed…

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Makeshift shelters are crowded with families who have lost all that they own. With occupants ranging from 1 month to 103 years old, doctors attempt to make routine rounds to check on the people living there. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

RMF’s team visits a second shelter, this one in Vega Baja, with 144 people. This man lost everything in the storm.

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In addition to complete power loss, medical supply stockpiles are depleted. Medical providers are desperate for help. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

A house crushed by a downed power line in Vega Baja. Destruction like this is everywhere in Puerto Rico.

Another tree that took out a power line

Entrance to Dr. Rodriguez’s clinic. The roof was…

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Four weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall, families are still living in shelters that have been set up in public schools. So many families have lost all that they own and have nowhere else to go. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

Meet Dr. Rodriguez, our contact in the town of Morovis. RMF’s Edwin knows him through family. He gladly shows us around.

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Much of the incoming aid has been concentrated in the capital of San Juan, which means rural towns and communities, like Ciales, are more vulnerable. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

A monument high on a hilltop, overlooking the valley and town of Ciales (to the right)

Valley of Ciales

A Puerto Rican Flag waves as a…

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Emergency rooms like Dr. Arthur’s are using the few supplies they have to keep their doors open to those who desperately need medical services. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

Exterior view of the second emergency room. There are large downed trees everywhere here. Fortunately, this one did not land on the building.

Meet Dr. Arthur. He works at the second emergency…

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With no electricity, the clinics and emergency rooms operate strictly on backup generator power. Medical providers like Dr. Rivera are in urgent need of help. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

RMF’s team gathered 250 lb. of basic medications and supplies in Miami, en route to San Juan.

Meet Dr. Emilio Rivera, our first contact in Vega Alta. He runs 5…

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One of the main dangers caused by disasters like Hurricane Maria is the lack of access to clean water. As of October 2, almost two weeks after the storm, 55% of people were still without access to drinking water. RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

US military personnel directing a water tanker pulling out of a well station

Long lines forming to…

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As our friends and neighbors in Puerto Rico struggle to find food, water, shelter, and basic medical care after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, RMF has sent a team to bring some initial medical supplies, as well as analyze the situation and form local partnerships. This is the first in a series of daily posts from our team on the ground. To learn more about RMF’s proposed program, read more on our initiative page.

Outside the Ritz Carlton, San Juan. There are no working traffic signals in any part of the island, according to…

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Click here to listen to the interview on the BBC News Website

BBC World Service interviewed RMF Nepal Program Program Coordinator, Barsha Dharel on April 24, 2016. Please follow the link above to listen to the interview. The Barsha Dharel interview, conducted by David Deng, starts around 46:20 mark. Below is a transcript of the interview.

David Deng: The devastating earthquake that shook Nepal last year has come and gone, but the aftershock is far from over. Twelve months on, the destruction that overtook the nation has left thousands desperate to find…

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What we know

RMF operations centered in Kathmandu but working quickly to set up outreach efforts to outlying areas and villages; the population in rural areas are completely cut off. While some agencies are on the ground as well as government teams from China, Butan, India and Israel, there is still an overwhelming need for emergency help and supplies Ground transportation is extremely limited, there is even difficulty for motorcycles to pass due to ongoing avalanches, challenging terrain, and pre-existing road conditions The airport is open and operational in Kathmandu Thousands are without shelter Electricity and water infrastructure…
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Highlights

Most affected areas are Gorkha, Lamjung and Sindhupalchok as well as Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur Districts. Latest government figures on total causalities is 1,900 with more than 5,000 injured. This is expected to increase. The Government of Nepal has officially requested international assistance. In support of national efforts, international search and rescue teams have begun to arrive into Kathmandu. Total affected population not yet determined but 30 of 75 districts are reported to be affected. According to 2011 Census data, total population for affected districts is….. Projections on numbers of affected are being developed.

Situation…

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Real Medicine Foundation is coordinating its response following the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck central Nepal between Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara early on Saturday morning, April 25. This is the worst earthquake to hit Nepal for more than 80 years.

As of today, April 26, the earthquake is reported to have killed more than 2,500 people with many thousands injured. The tremor also unleashed avalanches on Mount Everest, which killed at least 17 people and injured 61 others. Efforts to dig victims out from under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu continue.…

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by Dr. Patrick Dupont

On the 5th anniversary of the 2010 earthquake which weakened already failing systems and institutions and amongst sensible but still insufficient efforts to rebuild its infrastructures, Haiti’s health care system is still failing as showed by the last health indicators.

Access to quality health care is very limited and very patchy as insufficient public health initiatives are further lessened by lack of resources amongst the rebuilding effort. In the current public health panorama, a few decentralised hospitals have risen with the help or through infrastructure funding from partnered organisations and…

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Huffington Post: Ebola is not the problem

November 12, 2014

Cindy Stein Urbanc

Published on Huffington Post on 11/13/2014 by Cindy Stein Urbanc, RMF’s Coordinator for Maternal and Child Health Programs

Link to Article Here

As we all know, Ebola has dominated the global headlines in recent months. The media has stretched the entire continuum from minimization to sensationalizing the current outbreak. This has spanned things like the initial “expert” interviews reporting the improbability of a jump across continents to now, a short few months later, laypeople now demanding a moratorium on African travel. Like all things, the reality of what should have been and still could be…

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Thanks to IRD

Anemia Can Be Prevented in Bogo City

April 22, 2014

Update from the Main Health Office, Bogo City, Philippines

The Bogo City Health Office has limited funds for the purchase of Ferrous Sulfate tablets.  If there are supplies available, the pregnant women are the top priority, however, the availability of the iron vitamins is not sustained so there are times that those pregnant women have to buy the Ferrous Sulfate tablets on their own. Unfortunately, most of the pregnant women seeking prenatal care in our health centers are not financially capable and most of them stop taking iron vitamins during their pregnancy.

Upon the receipt of the donated bottles of Ferrous Sulfate tablets from RMF and

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Pakistan’s Agra Health Project Closed

The Lives We Touched

April 17, 2014

By Rubina Mumtaz BDS, MPH, Country Director, Pakistan

In August 2013, three years after the fateful floods of 2010, District Charsadda was the last to be struck off the list of flood affected areas of KPK and the government announced that the road to recovery was at last present. The Pakistan People’s Health Initiative (PPHI), a semi-government body had signed an MOU with the KPK Health Department to adopt all the BHUs in the main districts of Charsadda, Nowshera and Swabi, effectively revitalizing the BHU in Union Council Agra. Given RMF’s mission to avoid duplicating services, the primary health care services in the Agra Health Project were…

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RMF Reunites 2nd Year Nursing Student

Peter Atiep Rejoins His Family

April 11, 2014 - South Sudan

By Dr. Taban Martin Vitale

Meet Peter

Peter Atiep is a South Sudanese national from Upper Nile State, Baliet County. A second year nursing student of Juba College of Nursing and Midwifery (JCONAM), Peter is married to Ajak Abe Nyok and they have 5 children (3 girls and 2 boys): Abuk Atiep Kur, a 10-year-old girl; Awol Atiep Kur, an 8-year-old boy; Monyuat Atiep Kur, a 6-year-old boy; Nyalueth Atiep Kur, a 3-year-old girl and Nyanlong Atiep Kur a baby girl of 3 months.

Separated

When the fight broke out in Juba in mid-December 2013, Peter and his family were in…

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When the Kenyan refugees arrived at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in 2008, there was very little support in terms of school fees for their children, and there was no nursery school at the settlement. RMF stepped forward to establish a school support program to cover fees and supplies for Nursery, Primary and Secondary School children of the Kenyan refugee community at Kiryandongo. In the subsequent years, students from (South) Sudan, Congo, Burundi and Rwanda have been accepted into our program as well. RMF pays a portion of the tuition fees, school uniforms, school supplies, and exam fees for the…

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PANYADOLI HEALTH CENTER III

Kiryandongo Refugee Camp This Level III Health Center’s target population is about 60,000 residents in the Bweyale region, including 41,000 Ugandan IDPs, Bududa survivors, and Refugees from Kenya, Sudan, Congo, Burundi and Rwanda which are the main target population. In the past, the large influxes included that of 10,000 new Ugandan IDPs in October 2010 and another 15,000 joined the Kiryandongo Resettlement Camp at the end of May 2011.

The Panyadoli Health Center treats as many as 3,000 patients per month, for a wide variety of issues including malaria, malnutrition, maternal and…

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In the evening on February 23 RMF’s South Sudan and Uganda teams parted ways and Martina and crew drove to the Kiryandongo Refugee/ Resettlement Camp.

RMF has been serving Ugandans, Ugandan IDPs and refugees from other African nations since April 2008, when the RMF team first arrived from the US to the Mulanda Refugee Transit Centre, giving emergency assistance to the large influx of Kenyan Refugees escaping political violence in Kenya.  This emergency help was initially in the form of psychological trauma and social support, school fee subsidies, clothing, care kits and seeds for the refugees to…

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On February 22 Dr. Fuchs and crew crossed the border into Uganda and drove to Adjumani, West Nile. Sunday morning RMF’s South Sudan and Uganda team leaders met in Adjumani to assess the Adjumani District refugee situation

We met with the Settlement Commander at the Office of the Prime Minister’s Refugee Desk in Pakele and briefed him about RMF’s work in South Sudan and Uganda, where the refugee situation is becoming more and more overwhelming. RMF’s main areas of intervention would be healthcare and education.

We visited 2 of the 5…

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On February 22 Martina and crew drove from Juba to the South Sudan/Uganda border to visit Nimule Hospital and Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps on the South Sudan side, and refugee camps on the Ugandan side of the border.

NIMULE HOSPITAL

Nimule Hospital started in the early 1970s as a clinic and was upgraded to a hospital in 1983. Interventions are in 3 main areas: Healthcare, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS. The bed capacity of Nimule Hospital is 174 beds, which is very small considering it serves the entire population of Magwi County (287,000 people), travelers from…

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As part of my visit, we followed up on RMF’s work at the Pediatric Wards of Juba Teaching Hospital. As part of a Health Systems Strengthening project, RMF began upgrading the infrastructure at JTH in the spring of 2013, starting with the wards of the Pediatric Department. RMF is also supporting the procurement of furniture, medical equipment, and supplies for the Pediatric Department.

Milestones achieved include the full renovation of Pediatric Wards 5 and 7 (total bed capacity of 120 beds), development of guidelines and policies and provision of supplies for the maintenance of the renovated Pediatric Wards;…

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I just received Martina’s report from her trip to South Sudan and Uganda from February 12 to March 2. There is a lot of information and many, many photos so I’m going to split the report into several posts. Check back all this week for more coverage!

From February 12-22 Martina visited the Outpatient Department/Accident & Emergency Department at Juba Teaching Hospital to evaluate the situation and needs with Dr Mayen Achiek, Assistant Professor of Surgery, College of Medicine, Consultant Surgeon, Juba Teaching Hospital. The hospital is overcrowded as a result of the current crisis so…

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excerpt from a report by Tita Dumagsa, Tony Dumagsa and Jonathan White

On February 26th, Real Medicine Foundation received and distributed a second donation of medical supplies. International Relief & Development (IRD) generously provided the shipment as part of our ongoing Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda relief efforts.

Dr. Minerva Millor and her team, Dr. James Najarro of Bantayan Hospital, Ms. Imelda Calungsod of Bogo City Provincial Hospital, Mr. Mansueto Luche, the Hospital Administrative Director of Daan Bantayan Hospital, several midwives and 20 support workers unloaded a 40-foot container of general medical supplies, including much needed dressings, surgical kits…

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Recent fighting has driven more than 65,000 refugees from DRC into Uganda and an update from RMF’s Panyadoli Health Center in Uganda confirms "the situation continues to be desperate, especially for small children and pregnant women." RMF has provided a large supply of medicines and supplies to Bundibugyo Refugee Settlement and we have been asked to continue supplying medicine that is not being provided by other NGOs. Urgent priorities include additional shelter, water sources, communal kitchens, vaccination clinics for children under five, as well as support to existing health centers.

But there is good news despite the…

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Humanity United announced today that it will provide Real Medicine Foundation with a $50,000 grant to provide supplies, medicine and support for the Juba Teaching Hospital in South Sudan. The aid comes at a critical time for the country, with violence since mid-December displacing over 180,000 people.

To learn more about the grant the Humanity United press release has been posted below and for a recent update on the hospital click here.

Screen Shot 2013-12-30 at 3.03.23 PM

DECEMBER 30, 2013, PRESS RELEASE, SOUTH SUDAN

Humanity United Provides…

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CEO Dr. Martina Fuchs traveled to Bantayan Island to assess the medical situation  following Typhoon Haiyan (the main hospital suffered serious damage) and learned that the typhoon practically decimated the fishing industry as well; 90% of households depend on fishing. Here are a few photographs from that trip.

To Bantayan Island

 

Children, Bantayan Island

Destruction, Bantayan Island

Food Distribution for Typhoon Victims

Little Boy, Bantayan Island

Destruction, Bantayan Island

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Martina returned from the Philippines with wonderful stories about the resilience of the people and an urgency to get the hospital and livelihood projects moving. Here are a few photos from the second half of her journey.

Damaged power lines

Children in Medellin. When it starts getting dark there is no light in the streets or in the houses. The fire in the background is where people are burning debris, broken trees, etc. from Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in an effort to clean up.

Little girl in Medellin.

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Map showing Martina’s itinerary: Cebu City, north to Bogo City to Don Pedro Barangay to Nailon Barangay to San Remigio to Medellin, cross over to Bantayan island to visit Bantayan and Santa Fe, back to Cebu Island to visit Daanbantayan.

Town hall meeting with the Mayor of Bogo City and Dr. Minerva Millor.

Dr. Martina Fuchs is asked to speak at the Town Hall meeting.

Severo Verallo Memorial District Hospital in Bogo City.

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Photos from Nailon Barangay Health Station, Don Pedro Barangay Health Station and Daycare Center.

A small patient.

Dr. Minerva Millor in front of Barangay Health Station.

Nailon Barangay Health Station.

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En route to San Remigio and Medellin and a few small friends and patients along the way.

On the road to San Remigio and Medellin.

Destroyed banana trees. The locals kept saying "they go first, then the coconut trees."

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Los Angeles, CA – International health and humanitarian relief organization Real Medicine Foundation (RMF) announces the completion of its first Climb for Real™ squad. Climb for Real™ is an effort by a number of private individuals and amateur climbers who will summit Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of and funding for Real Medicine’s work around the world. Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak, located in Tanzania and standing at 19,341 feet. The climb will take place November 11-20, 2013.

Dr. Garrett Cale Smith, CEO of Nasseo, Inc. and an RMF Advisory Board member, will join Climb for Real™. He…

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A refugee is transported in critical condition from his tent to the health center

Dear Friends of Real Medicine Foundation, This blog post is dedicated to the Congolese refugees who have arrived in Uganda in the past 2 weeks in desperate need of shelter, food, water, and healthcare as a result of violence in the DRC. The existing settlements/refugee camps are overextended and we need your help to meet the needs of this vulnerable population as soon as possible!

Because of RMF’s presence in Uganda through our work at the Kiryandongo settlement,…

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In closing out our Tsunami/Earthquake relief project in Japan, our partner in Japan, JEN (Japan Emergency NGO),  interviewed a couple at one of the Community Gathering Centers and Shelters that we supported.  Mr. Ryozo Sanjo (73) and Mrs. Kieko Sanjo (69) , are residents of Oppagawa Kasen Transitional Shelter.

Written by JEN staff

Q: At first, could you please introduce yourselves briefly?

A: Now, my husband and I are living in a temporary house. Before the disaster, we used to live in the Nagatsura area in Ishinomaki city. My husband retired a few years ago…

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For Immediate Release

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles-based international nonprofit Real Medicine Foundation participated in World Humanitarian Day this Sunday, August 19th. World Humanitarian Day is an international day promoted by the United Nations to recognize those who have lost their lives – and those who continue to spend their lives – in the course of humanitarian work around the world.

The day is described as a “global celebration of people helping people.”

Real Medicine has operated on exactly this philosophy since the day it was

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Thursday 14th June 2012

Time: 4.30 – 5.30 pm Venue: Manson Lecture Theatre, LSHTM, Keppel Street

Dr. Martina Fuchs, Founder and CEO of Real Medicine Foundation, will speak about the challenges she faced while leading Real Medicine Foundation on its remarkable journey from a small clinic in Sri Lanka to a global NGO covering 15 countries across 4 continents and how Real Medicine Foundation is "Reinventing Medicine."

The talk will be followed by a question and answer and discussion session where Dr. Fuchs would be happy to offer students advice on how to…

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Photo: Dr. Martina C. Fuchs, RMF Founder/CEO, making new friends at the Lwala, Kenya Community Hospital, October 1, 2011

We are so grateful to all our friends, supporters and teams around the world and wish everyone a fantastic 2012!

Having wrapped up another successful  we want to pause and say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who supported our work in 2011.  You have helped us achieve so much, and we give our deep thanks to everyone for your generosity and support!

In 2011 we..

In Japan, post-earthquake and…

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The guest contributor to our Blog today is Jana Siu, a Registered Nurse from California who has volunteered for us before in India.  Jana is spending time volunteering at our clinic the  “Policlínico Peruano-Americano" in San Clemente, Peru and just sent this first dispatch from the field.

Jana treating patient

by Jana Siu

I was warned about Mondays here at Policlinico Peruano Americano. It’s not even 11am and the patient log is at 62. Out in the crowded waiting room, seated on long wooden benches, there are coughing and crying children, stoic men, breastfeeding mothers and their…

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Doll Making Event at one of JEN’s Evacuation Centers

Approximately 3,777 individuals and 2,330 households, and evacuees at 5 evacuation centers in the Ishinomaki area were reached by our partner Japanese Emergency NGO’s (JEN) activities during this period.

In addition to the continued soup kitchen support, rubble and sludge removal, and other material donations by JEN, there have been some fun entertainment and relaxation activites at the Community Cafe’s that JEN has set up for the residents/evacuees of the Ishinomaki area

・Invited ex-Olympic athlete and a physical therapist to host a stretching class in Kawakita…

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Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture

Beneficiaries

Approximately 6,257 individuals and 895 households were reached by RMF’s partner in Japan, JEN’s, activities during this period.

JEN staff and volunteers clearing rubble (Photo credit JEN)

Activities

1  Material Distribution

Four cases of canned food were distributed at the sports day event at Ogihama Primary School in Ishinomaki. In-kind donations (9,000 bottles of shampoo and bath towels) were prepared at JEN’s Ishinomaki warehouse for further distribution.

2 Sludge Removal Volunteer Dispatch

Supported by 1,410…

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Quick update from our partner on the ground in Japan, Japanese Emergency NGO (JEN) for the past two weeks of their relief efforts in and around Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture

Photo: Meals served by JEN Staff (Photo copyright JEN)

Approximately 6,905 individuals and 101 households were reached by JEN’s activities during this period with hot meals provided, rubble/sludge removal, and the opening of Community Cafe’s which provide a warm and social gathering place for the affected communities with such service as hair dressing, massages, plays and other entertainment for all.

One major…

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Our partner’s in Japan,  JEN (Japanese Emergency NGO), have achieved the following since partnering with RMF:

Approximately 150,000 people were reached Primary beneficiaries: Evacuees at shelters in Ishinomaki City and evacuees located in their own house without food * stocks, and elderly persons at nursery houses

Activities:

Material Distribution:

Food and non-food items such as fuel, clothing, blankets, and hygiene products were delivered to evacuation centers and homes for the elderly, i.e. 1,000 kilos of rice and 4,000 liters of kerosene.

Sludge Removal Tools and Volunteer Dispatch:

Supported by…

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Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin:

Cholera and Post-Earthquake Response in Haiti: April 15th, 2011

The following report was compiled by the The Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP) and PAHO, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas,coordinate the Health Cluster. MSPP Cluster Contacts: Dr. Claude Surena; Dr. Jean Hugues Henrys; PAHO/WHO Contacts: Dr. Juan Carlos Gustavo Alonso and Dr. Josep Vargas.

Highlights

The number of cholera cases nationwide continues to decrease. The number of cases…

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RMF Japan Relief Partner Update:

Tales from Ishinomaki

April 11, 2011 - Japan

by Keiko Kiyama, JEN Secretary General

I returned from Ishinomaki on early morning yesterday. Being faced with the familiar outlooks of my hometown after getting off a highway, I was surprised. While devastating conditions in the Tohoku region go on, everything seems to have been back to normal here in Tokyo except for sporadic power supply cuts.

photo: Coordination meeting in Ishinomaki City, 7am every day (Photo copyright JEN)

What surprised me most was that there was neither mud nor trash on the roads. Regardless of the fact that people must live in extremely inconvenient circumstances, silently remove sludge with terrible odor around,…

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We are excited to announce that the kind folks over at Global Basecamps (www.globalbasecamps.com) have reached out to their supporters and fans for a matching donation challenge.  They will be matching donations dollar for dollar for our Japan Relief Efforts for the first $2,500 of donations received through the Real Medicine website. (www.realmedicinefoundation.org/donors)

Global Basecamps is a specialty travel resource designed to simplify the process of researching and booking sustainable hotels, lodges and private tours worldwide. Travel at your own pace with a custom itinerary or simply find accommodation and excursions so that your trip priorities…

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photo: Sam, Sarah, Max, Kenny G & Lyndie

We would like to thank everyone involved at the Japan Relief Fundraiser held at the Malibu Lumber Yard on Saturday for  their support, it was an amazing day filled with fun, music and charity!

This past Saturday a group of Malibu’s finest young musicians came together Saturday at the Malibu Lumber Yard for a fundraiser concert called "From Our Ocean to Theirs."

The Malibu Lumber Yard shops Tory BurchAlice + Olivia,ChocolateBox CafeIntermix

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photo: Rachel (TOM’s shoes), Tania (Space 15 Twenty), Vy (Rudy’s Barbershop)

We would like to thank everyone involved at the Japan Relief Fundraiser held atSpace 15 Twenty on Saturday for  their support, it was an amazing day filled with fun, music and charity!

As this event was sponsored by the kind folks over at Rudy’s Barber Shop www.RudysBarbershop.com, Ace Hotel www.acehotel.com, Cha Cha Lounge www.chachalounge.com and Bimbos Cantina www.bimboscantina.com, this group agreed to match donations to our Japan Earthquake  and Tsunami Reliefraised at both this event and on our…

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From the JEN blog

Distributing clothes from UNIQLO in Ishinomaki City, and the arrival of the fourth team!

On the 29th March, JEN distributed warm fleeces and underwear by UNIQLO at three sites in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. The clothing was donated by Fast Retailing Co., Ltd (UNIQLO), and their employees assisted the distribution. A total of 759 local residents were present at the three locations to receive the items.

The distribution of clothing. Many residents gathered following the radio announcement.

In addition to the UNIQLO clothing, we distributed items that…

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Our partners at JEN (Japanese Emergency NGO) have teams busy on the ground in the northern tsunami affected areas providing food, shelter, water and other basic survival items to the thousands of people stranded in shelters.

photo: JEN staff prepare food for emergency shelter residents

Thanks to everyone’s donations, JEN is able to provide far more care than would have been previously possible.

JEN has been updating us with photos and updates from the field, and also posting regularly to their blog.

Most recent update from JEN of this week’s relief work:

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We are very pleased to announce that the kind folks over at Rudy’s Barber Shop www.RudysBarbershop.com, Ace Hotel www.acehotel.com, Cha Cha Lounge www.chachalounge.com and Bimbos Cantina www.bimboscantina.com have agreed to match donations to our Japan Earthquake  and Tsunami Relief dollar for dollar up to $18,000!

The challenge has started and we will be tracking the donation totals coming in on the home page of our website.

Currently, our relief efforts are focused on partnering directly with a Japanese non-profit organization, JEN…

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After reaching out to our network we are pleased to announce that we have located a Japanese non-profit organization JEN ("Japanese Emergency NGO"), to work directly with on the ground in Tokyo and the tsunami affected northern areas of Japan.  JEN came highly recommended to us by our partners over at the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, who vouched for JEN’s trustworthiness and effectiveness in disaster relief.

JEN is an officially registered Japanese non-profit founded in 1994 in response to the humanitarian crisis in Bosnia, and has since then been conducting relief around the world for victims of war, internal…

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Over the weekend we have communicated with a contact of ours that works with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), regarding the relief efforts in Japan and where our help might be needed most.  JICA is Japan’s international aid and development arm (similar to USAID); we have been working with them for the past two years as project partners in our South Sudan initiative.

According to our contact, the relief activities are in full swing but still not perfectly coordinated, Japanese Self-Defense Forces are in the Miyagi Prefecture, and the Japanese government is getting ready to accept larger relief offers from different countries.

Our…

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Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan and all those affected by the 8.9 earthquake that struck off its northeastern coast and the devasting tsunami that followed on Friday, March 11, 2011.

Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coastline were affected by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter.

Google Inc. has just activated a Person Finder page to help people concerned about loved ones in the area affected by Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.…

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The First Two Months Of Our New Clinic In Gulbella, Pakistan

March 09, 2011 - Pakistan

by Dr. Zahoor Uddin and Dr. Rubina Mumtaz

by Dr. Zahoor Uddin and Dr. Rubina Mumtaz

Real Medicine Foundation in collaboration with the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) established a primary health clinic in Gulbella, Charsadda District of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, aiming to provide free health services at the unit for the Pakistan flood affectees. This clinic was established in a record short period of time – 7 days – and was formally inaugurated by Dr. Rubina Mumtaz, Country Director, RMF Pakistan, on December 19, 2010. People of the area consider the establishment of the BHU a noble act…

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The Following report is compiled by the the Ministère de la Sante Publique et de la Population (MSPP) and PAHO, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas, coordinate the Health Cluster. MSPP Cluster Contacts: Dr. Claude Surena; Dr. Jean Hugues Henrys; PAHO/WHO Contacts: Dr. Dana van Alphen.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The security situation has presently improved in all regions of the country, but may deteriorate again, as the problems associated with last elections remain unresolved. The celebration of Carnival, which begins o Sunday in some cities, could potentially lead to…

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With the launch of our Sindh Mobile Clinic Initiative, it looks like our team is going to be busy as the region is now experiencing record levels of Malnutrition due to post flood conditions, according to a recently published UNICEF report. According to an article on the British news group The Guardian (guardian.co.uk):

In Sindh province, where some villages are still under water six months after the floods, almost one quarter of children under five are malnourished while 6% are severely underfed, a Floods Assessment Needs survey has found.

"I haven’t seen malnutrition this…

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This week’s Sunday run was intimidating because it was our longest training run yet–15 miles!  Nevertheless, my dedicated teammates were enthusiastic and cheerful when I arrived at 8 a.m.  It was another gorgeous So Cal morning, warming up quickly under a bright white sun in a pale blue sky.  Despite our sleepy eyes, we were in high spirits, joking with each other as we discussed the course.  I had planned two loops and a short "out and back" to make up the mileage.  But the guys suggested we run one huge loop, so that by boring mile 12,…

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Sudan referendum news update

January 14, 2011 - South Sudan

Full slideshow here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2011/jan/10/sudan-referendum-pictures#/?picture=370455062&index=1

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

"Sudan’s ruling party is ready to accept southern independence if voters decide to divide the country as expected, a senior northern official said Friday."   Full article here:

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/sudan-ruling-party-ready-804028.html

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Athletes for Real Medicine:

Sunday Training Run Blog

January 11, 2011 - United States

by Brandi Howell

This week’s Sunday run was an intense 11 miles, with 1200 feet of elevation gain.  We started out at the base of Sullivan Canyon, surrounded by towering oak, eucalyptus and sycamore trees.  It was 8:30 am.  The canyon was cold and misty as it hadn’t seen direct sunlight since the previous afternoon.

We wore layers to stay warm.  Within ten minutes of running, we could feel our breath deepening, our heart beats speeding up.  We were already gaining altitude.  A small stream intersected the trail on multiple occasions, which gave us a chance to catch…

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We’re kicking off the New Year with a bang!  Today, our founder and CEO Martina Fuchs, was honored with Lifetime Network’s Remarkable Woman award. The award spotlights extraordinary women who inspire and empower others to make a difference in their communities and the world.

Lifetime’s Remarkable Women are weekly vignettes featured on-air and online celebrating extraordinary women who inspire and encourage all of us to make a difference in our world.  Salutes have included unsung heroes like Josette Perard, a community advocate working on the frontlines in Haiti after its devastating earthquake and Patsy Bates, a hairdresser from Gardena, California, who won…

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Haiti

One Year On

January 06, 2011 - Haiti

Photo from Guardian.co.uk

As we approach the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake of January 12, 2010, it is a sad reminder of how little has actually been done to rebuild Haiti.  Only the most basic of healthcare and tent accommodation is available for the 1 Million that are still homeless, and unbelievably only 5% of the rubble created by the earthquake has been cleared.

These are shocking statistics considering over $2 Billion was pledged to the relief efforts, with only 42% of funding has actually been spent and the coordination between the UN and…

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As you know, we have set the goal of raising $100,000 by the end of today, and would greatly appreciate if you consider Real Medicine for your year-end donation.

In the spirit of Real Medicine Foundation’s concept of “Friends helping Friends helping Friends” so much is possible when we do it together.

From all of us here at Real Medicine: Thank you for your support!

Make your year-end donation now.

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Last 3 days to give!

December 29, 2010

If you were considering donating to a worthy cause in 2010 and taking advantage of the tax benefits of charitable donations, now is your last chance to contribute!

As we look towards new efforts and projects in 2011 it is only through your generous funding that we will be able to continue our long term development projects in some of the poorest areas on this planet.

As you know, we have set the goal of raising $100,000 by December 31st, and would greatly appreciate if you consider Real Medicine for your year-end donation.

In the spirit of Real Medicine…

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We are very proud to have just opened another full time healthcare clinic in Pakistan with the support of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) and our fantastic implementing team of doctors on the ground.  In addition to our many Flood Relief camps and our other full time clinic in Balakot, are efforts in Pakistan are continuing to gain ground.

 

Background

The devastating flood during the monsoon season of 2010 created havoc over a wide area across Pakistan. Although the flood affected the lives of…

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By 8am on Sunday, December 12th, the air temperature was already creeping into the high 60s.  The sky was blue, the sun high and bright.  The perfect Indian Summer day was enough to make the rest of our frozen nation jealous.  Our schedule told us to run twelve miles, so we were mentally prepared, pumped up and ready to go.  The sun at our backs, our long shadows leading us, we ran north along the beach until the path ended.  Turning into the bright sun, we headed south, spotting a pod of dolphins playing…

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"The world’s attention has long since moved on from the Pakistani flood story, but there are still more than 1 million people who remain displaced in Sindh alone, said U.N. humanitarian affairs chief Valerie Amos on Dec. 3 after touring the flood zone." Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2036064,00.html#ixzz187WcsmAZ

Please join us for as Young Sindhi Adults and Real Medicine Foundation hosts a happy hour mixer fundraiser awareness to bring awareness in building healthcare infrastructure in the flood ravaged region of Sindh with a live music performance by singer-songer Nita Chawla. Listen to firsthand stories by founder Dr.…

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711 Greenwich Street

New York City

http://urbanzen.org/

Real Medicine Foundation is proud to announce that we have been designated as a beneficiary for the Hope Help Relief for Haiti "The Truth" fundraising event.  Our relief and long term capacity building projects in Haiti will be the sole beneficiaries of any proceeds given to RMF.

Urban Zen Foundation’s Hope Help Relief Haiti for The Truth is a multimedia art exhibition which will provide Gifts of Love to the people of Haiti.

The…

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By Patrick Dupont

Now, more than 11 months after the catastrophic events of January 12 and the devastating blows to its already impoverished socio-economic state and structures, Haiti’s population is facing many other day-to-day hardships and obstacles, and two new foes:

1. An unprecedented cholera outbreak, which started in October and has already claimed more than 2,000 lives and touched roughly 92,000 Haitians while hospitalizing more than 42,000 of them [PAHO EOC situation report # 16, December 6, 2010].

The Ministry of Health, enrolling many partners amongst the already widely…

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For Article Click Here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/12/07/haiti.elections/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_world

Follow us on TwitterFacebook or become a fundraiser for us at Causes.com

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

To contribute to this initiative, please visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

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Real Medicine Foundation in partnership with Google held another two day free Medical Camp for the Flood Victims of Pakistan on this past weekend of November 13 and 14, 2010 in Union Council Sardaryab, District Charsadda, KPK, Pakistan. The Medical Camp was inaugurated by Dr. Asghar (formerly senior team member of Save the Children) at UC Sardaryab, Charsadda.  The patients were mostly women and children. A 10-member team of volunteers helped to facilitate the medical camp. This camp, as our previous free medical camps, was divided into various sections, such as registration counter, different…

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As we continue to follow the Cholera outbreak in Haiti:

"The UN has appealed for nearly $164m (£102m) to fight a cholera outbreak in Haiti which has now claimed 724 lives.

UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said that unless funds were provided, "all our efforts can be outrun by the epidemic". (BBCNews)

BBC news reporting that while Haiti missed the brunt of the Hurricane Tomas storm, the flooding that followed the heavy rains has greatly increased the risk of a large cholera outbreak in the capital, with more than 70 cases…

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BBC news reporting that while Haiti missed the brunt of the Hurricane Tomas storm, the flooding that followed the heavy rains has greatly increased the risk of a large cholera outbreak in the capital, with more than 70 cases reported in Port-au-Prince, and more than 540 people killed in the areas outside of the capital that were first affected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11729665

To contribute to our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts, please click the Donate button below or through our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

Folllow us on Twitter or Facebook

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Haiti is bracing itself for Tropical Storm Tomas and the heavy rains that are due to follow.  Refugees are being advised to leave the tent camps but have nowhere to go.

From BBC news:

Haiti has been placed on high alert as a powerful storm sweeps in, threatening thousands of earthquake survivors still living in camps.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11696626

UN OHCA group’s report below:

Emergency supplies and equipment are urgently needed in preparation for Tropical Storm Tomas.

WASH, shelter, logistics and communication clusters have identified requirements in terms of equipment…

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I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

According to the Civil Protection (DPC), Haiti is in the trajectory of Hurricane Tomas, which is expected to impact Haiti on Friday 5 November. In collaboration with the DPC, the UN and humanitarian community have activated contingency plans for hurricane response.

Planning figures of 100,000 families affected means 150,000 tarpaulins and 100,000 blankets will be needed in addition to contingency stock already in country.

The MSPP, UN and humanitarian community continue to respond to the cholera outbreak.

The health cluster reports five cholera treatment centres (CTCs)…

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Almost 6 years after the last Tsunami in Indonesia and the founding of Real Medicine in Sri Lanka, another Tsunami has struck the area,  this one resulting with at least 272 dead and so far another 400 missing.   Officials are saying there were faults with an early warning system designed to alert locals to the 3m-high (10ft) wave.

Full article from BBC news here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11632982

To read about our continuing relief efforts in Sri Lanka click here.

Folllow us on Twitter or Facebook

To contribute to this initiatives, please visit…

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/americas/23cholera.html

For more information about our initiative in Haiti please click here

Folllow us on Twitter or Facebook

To contribute to this initiative, please visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

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As the scale of the flooding in Pakistan is still sinking in, our Flood Relief Efforts continue with Free Medical Camps held in different villages and towns every weekend. We have so far treated over 20,000 patients at our camps and will continue this outreach as long as we are able.

For more about the overview of the current situation on the ground from CNN click here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/14/pakistan.flood.cost/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_world

Folllow us on Twitter or Facebook

For more information about our Flood Relief Efforts, please visit our website.

To contribute to…

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Just in case people have forgotten that very little has actually been done to resolve enormous tent city/homeless situation in Port au Prince, or the fact that the  $1 Billion the US promised has yet to materialize due to political games being played in the US Senate….the BBC has checked back in on the situation in Haiti and reviewed a recent report published by Refugees International and is not impressed, here is their not so uplifting update:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11491537

In addition to RMF supporting a team of nurses in one of the…

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photo: Doctors and local officials at Saturday camp

This past Saturday September 25th and Sunday the 26th, Real Medicine Foundation held our third and fourth Free Medical Camps for Flood Victims in Aman Garh (Pabbi Tehsil), Nowshera District, Pakistan.  This most recent outreach effort was very effective, treating over 4,600 patients in two days, and was made possible by a generous charitable grant by Google Inc. and other individual donations.

 

In total

A total of 4,656 patients were treated in 2 days

2,365 patients were treated on Saturday, September 25…
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Haiti Update

Hurricane season complicates relief efforts

September 27, 2010 - Haiti

by Dr. Martina Fuchs

By Dr. Martina Fuchs

Information by OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

At approximately 3pm local time on September 24th a storm with high winds and rain struck the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area for about 30 minutes. The storm was not predicted and no warnings were therefore issued. Thus far, five people were confirmed dead and there are several reports of injuries and people being trapped under fallen trees and collapsed shelters. The camp management and camp coordination cluster (CCCM) currently estimates 2,000 tents damaged or destroyed in camps across Port-au-Prince. Assessments of damage…

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More than seven weeks since the beginning of the floods, and as we prepare to hold our third major Flood Relief Medical Camp in the city of Pabbi in the Nowshera district, it’s important to note how critical the situation remains in Pakistan.   We will be reporting next week on the results of our next relief camp this coming Sunday, and hope to continue expanding our relief efforts.

From CNN.com, this slideshow and brief article highlights:

Areas of Pakistan are still submerged in water, weeks after the first flooding happened

The UN and other organizations…

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Click here for slideshow:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/sep/14/pakistan-floods#/?picture=366687765&index=0

Folllow us on Twitter or Facebook

For more information about our Flood Relief Efforts, please visit our website.

To contribute to our Flood Relief Efforts, please visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

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For our Spanish speaking readers, following is a report from our Project Director in Peru, Magali Pujalt, about a free medical outreach clinic that RMF and the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS) conducted last month. English version to follow soon.

MISION PAMS 2010

PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY

POLICLINICO PERUANO AMERICANO

En Pisco se llevo a cabo la misión PAMS 2010, bajo la dirección del Dr. Hugo Tapia ,con voluntarios en especialidades primarias de atención ,también  1 Cirujano el Dr.Rosales,1 Ginecólogo Dr. Vega, 1Pediatra el Dr. Vasquez,1Oftalmologo Dr.…

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We are very proud to announce that Real Medicine Foundation has received a grant from the Google Inc. Charitable Giving Fund for our disaster relief efforts in response to the flooding in Pakistan.

Through the Tides Foundation, Google’s charitable fund manager, we received $25,000 directed towards the immediate funding of our medical camps treating the flood affected across Pakistan. We have so far held two of these medical outreach camps and have already treated thousands of patients. With this new funding we will be able to significantly increase the number of victims treated.

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Real Medicine Foundation just held a 2nd free medical camp in Charsadda this past Sunday the 29th of August for flood affected, at the Union Council Majukay. A total of 1,894 patients were diagnosed and treated through this 2nd RMF Free Medical Camp, consisting of 65 % male, 35 % female including 23 % children. Around 109 serious patients were referred to hospitals at DHQ Charsadda, LRH Peshawar and Khyber Teaching Hospital.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we will be holding many more of these free medical camps for all in need. Full reports with…

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By Derrick Lowoto, Clinical Officer

photo: Derrick seeing a patient at an outreach camp

Our health care outreach program in collaboration with Share International and Medical Mission International serves the area of Turkana Kenya. The aim is to improve the delivery of primary Health Care Services within the Turkana Drought Region in Northern Kenya, its capital Lodwar and the people living in the remote villages of Turkana, Kenya.

The following are some patient success stories told by Derrick Lowoto, the Clinical Officer, over the past three months from Turkana.

“Lokorio is a…

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Guest blogger today Sherbano Mehdi writes today about the fundraiser we held this past Sunday which raised over $23,000 for victims of the Floods in Pakistan.  Special thanks goes out to Dr. Zeba Vanek and Ali Vanek who were generous enough to hold the event at their home on behalf of RMF.  We have already held our first medical relief outreach camp and will be holding many more with these generous donations.

"The floods in Pakistan have once again brought us together. On our ever-changing planet Earth we are reminded that our ability to work together across…

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As the monsoon season in Pakistan continues to flood the country, the flooding is now sweeping from the north to the southern zones of the country. Full article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11081090

“Some 200,000 people have been evacuated in the Thatta area of Sindh province, where dozens of villages are submerged. In the north, workers have begun clearing up as the floods recede. The UN has appealed for more helicopters to reach 800,000 people who are cut off.” For more information about our Flood Relief Efforts, please visit our website.

To contribute to our Flood Relief Efforts,…

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Through the generous support of our recent donors and our amazing RMF Pakistan team and partner organization, Relief Foundation, we are proud to announce that we successfully held our first free Flood Relief Medical and Dental camp this past Sunday 22nd of August in Paindakhel, Charsada District of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan.

As soon as the camp was set up patients started arriving in great number and were waiting in long queues to be seen. The doctors examined and treated 1,767 male and female patients, providing them with medicine and other medical supplies. Around 78 serious cases…

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Ali, Dr. Zeba, Haider Ali Vanek, Real Medicine Foundation & Their Friends & Family

INVITE YOU TO AN OPEN HOUSE

On Sunday, August 22, 2010, From 3:00–10:00 PM

AT 10551 WILSHIRE BLVD. UNIT #904, LOS ANGELES, CA. 90024

To Raise Funds, To Spread the Word, To Uplift Spirits And To Pledge To Work Together to Help the People Affected by The Catastrophic Floods Ravaging Pakistan which estimates 20 million without Food & Water for more than 2 weeks!

Real Medicine Foundation

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In addition to our permanent clinic in Balakot that has been treating an influx of new patients due to the floods, we are proud to announce that, together with one of our partners in Pakistan, Relief Foundation (RF), we are holding the first of our RMF-RF Free Medical Camps this coming Sunday, 22nd of August in the Charsadda district.

With some initial funding from a handful of donors here in the US, we were able to immediately start relief efforts through Relief Foundation in Pakistan. Of course, much, much more is needed, but this is a good…

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Continuing with the coverage of the floods in Pakistan and what this means for our clinic in Balakot, I came across a good article from the New York Times that details why it is so important for Western Countries, the US in particular, to lend a helping hand to the people of Pakistan.

NY Times article here

Time and time again, the poor and rural areas of a country like Pakistan are left behind infrastructure, economic development and health care, ,and with no one else offering a helping hand fundamentalist groups like the Taliban…

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Thank you letter from Pakistan Donor

August 13, 2010 - Pakistan

Our biggest thanks usually come from the people we help in the field, but sometimes they also come from our donors, which is always pleasure to see.  The letter we are sharing below was just sent from an Pakistani-American, Dr. Zeba Vanek, to our founder, Dr. Martina Fuchs, thanking her and RMF for all our efforts in Pakistan since 2007 and specifically for our current Flood Relief campaign.  Zeba also used her own network in the US to raise funds for the flood relief campaign and continue to be a great advocate for our cause.

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The reports are getting scarier by the day..the UN is now reporting that as much as one-fifth of Pakistan in under water with new flood warnings being issued today.  New York Times article here.

Real Medicine Foundation is responding to the devastating floods across Pakistan by harnessing the energy of local doctors, nurses, and paramedics who want to volunteer their time and services by giving them a platform to conduct free medical relief camps for thousands of flood affected individuals in communities across KPK and Sindh.  This cost effective intervention is based on the…

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Our new 15 minute documentary film covers both the history of Real Medicine and highlights our medical and relief work in Turkana, Kenya. This film features incredible on the ground footage of our relief efforts in Turkana, footage of our founder Dr. Martina Fuchs in action, and an interview with New York Times author Jeffrey Gettleman whose article inspired our work in Turkana.  A very special thanks to the whole RMF production team, but especially George Papuashvili, who tirelessly donated both his time and talents to producing this moving documentary for RMF.  Remember…

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Join us for a happy hour benefiting the

Real Medicine Foundation

WHEN: Thursday, August 19th, 6:30-10:00 pm

WHERE: GYENARI (www.gyenari.com), 9540 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA

RSVP: Evite.com

This event is FREE to attend and 20% of the funds spent this night will be donated by Gyenari to directly support RMF’s Los Angeles programs.

Are you a novice or veteran runner? Interested in running the LA Marathon next year? Or do you know someone who is? Please join us for a night…

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Due to the continued bad weather in Pakistan and the enormous number of people affected by the widespread flooding, the human scale of the flood devastation is on an almost unimaginable scale.  UN is now estimating that the total number of people affected exceeds the Tsunami, Haiti earthquake and 2005 Kashmir earthquake all combined.

Real Medicine is very busy trying to ensure that our established health clinic in this region is able to handle the huge influx of new patients, and also fundraising to be able to provide several health care outreach camps in the areas that aren’t able…

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The news coming out of Pakistan is that the initial flooding estimates over the past few days were far too low, with government relief agencies now saying that at least 12 million people are affected and that it is clearly on track to be "the biggest disaster in the history of Pakistan".

At least 650,000 houses have been destroyed; roads and electricity infrastructure have been severely decimated. Flood victims are so far receiving very little in emergency aid as their government has focused many of its limited resources in recent months on trying to contain the Taliban…

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Our Primary Health Care Clinic in Talhatta, north western Pakistan, has opened its doors to the many flood victims from the surrounding area and villages.  Initial reports from our staff are that our clinic premises are unaffected but there are many villages nearby that need help. It is fortunate we have such a well functioning clinic in one of the areas hardest hit by these recent floods.

The only other health facilities, the Balakot District Headquarters Hospital and another facility (already strained and ineffective facilities) have been severely damaged by the flooding, leaving RMF’s Talhatta clinic…

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Sri Lanka: New Preschool, New Kids, Same Great Idea

July 27, 2010 - Sri Lanka

by Jonathan White

photo: The new class of preschoolers of Palathuduwa

Our Tangalle Children Relay Preschool had operated with our support from 2006 until the end of 2009. During this time, Real Medicine covered the teacher’s, the children were provided with uniforms, stationary, playing instruments, school materials, cultural and educational tours, a daily meal, and medical treatments all free of charge.   In an great example of our long term goals of self-sustainability, over the past few years the community we have been serving has been able to slowly recover from the Tsunami and return to their previous…

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The clinic that started it all off for RMF, more than 5 years ago in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, continues to thrive and provide, community outreach and health education programs to Yayawatta Village and the surrounding areas.  These areas have still barely gotten back on their feet after the complete destruction of many surrounding villages and infrastructure 5 years ago by the Tsunami. The clinic’s main beneficiaries include the population of Seenimodara, Kadurupokuna and Palapotha.

Having this convenient access to free healthcare is especially important for the areas young mothers, children, and the elderly.  During the…

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By Kevin Connell and Jonathan White

This series of video clips was shot by RMF’s Kevin Connell in the St. Pierre Square tent camp in Petionville, an upper-class neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.  This is a small tent camp set up in a public square but one of the largest tent camps in the city is located on a nearby golf course with an estimated 50,000 people occupying.  Voluntary settlements like these were setup in virtually every square or open space in the city after the disaster.  These clips gives you a little more insight into the living conditions…

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In this article posted on Huffingtonpost.com, Amy Goodman, the renowned host of Democracy Now!, echos much of what we’ve heard from our staff on the ground, and points out that according to the Washington Post only 2% of the promised reconstruction aid has been delivered, and much of the U.S’s $1.15 Billion pledge is still stuck in Congress.  It is also pointed out that they could only find 6 of the 197 organizations that solicited money having publicly available reports detailing their activities.

We at RMF are proud, as always, to have detailed every penny spent on our…

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Real Medicine in Haiti: 6 months later and beyond

July 12, 2010 - Haiti

by Alex Areces and Jonathan White

As we pause to mark the somber six month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti and the 230,000 lives lost, it is worth noting not only the significant achievements of the international aid community but also how dire the situation remains and the immense challenges that lie ahead.  Most of the 1.5 million Haitians that were left homeless are still living in the immense tent cities due to sheer scale of the logistical and legal challenges of rebuilding literally hundreds of buildings on mostly private property. The health care system is still in tatters, and…

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After a three-week hiatus from Haiti to help present Real Medicine’s strategy for the country to key contacts in Washington, including a Director on Obama’s executive committee at the White House, it’s been very strange being back on the ground in Port-au-Prince.

I’m not sure what has specifically changed.  The crush of relief workers, military personnel and patients is less pronounced but still ever-present.  There is still unbearably bad traffic in the mornings and afternoons on the major arteries, UN peacekeepers / Haitian police continue to prowl the streets and setting periodic roadblocks, and the…

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Help The Bedford Lions Club and help Haitians walk again.

Please help by donating your clean and serviceable crutches, canes, folding walkers and folding wheelchairs to the Bedford Lions Crutches for Haiti Campaign.

These items are urgently needed by the Haitians crippled by the February earthquake.

Check out the Bedford Lions Club website at http://bedford.nhlions.org/ for more information.

Read more

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Michael Lear, Haiti, Jan 25th 2010

Upon returning from Port-au-Prince, Michael became friends with one of the many victims that experienced tragedies beyond measure: “I went to help with the relocated patients placed on the lawn in front of the post-op ward.   It was there that I met Stancia.  Stancia lost everything – her whole family, her husband, her children and her house. She lay alone in the Dominican Republic with crushed legs, not knowing how to start over.  Her first words to me are – “I am dead.  I have lost everything, my family,…

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Michael Lear: I sit here four days after arriving to Jimaní and am not able to explain what I have witnessed here.  Perhaps I’m tired. Perhaps it is the staggering amounts of amputations, stories of being trapped, crushed, losing everything, family, friends or homes – seeing so many orphaned children lying scared and alone in body casts – oblivious to what awaits them back at home in Port-au-Prince – utter destruction, chaos and collapse.

While all of this has left me silent, nothing leaves me speechless more than the contemplation of how these people will recover – so…

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Earth Quake Relief Port-au-Prince Haiti

January 25, 2010 Michael Lear and Dr. Martina Fuchs

Real Medicine deployed to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, January 20, and began performing assessments on the Jimaní border hospitals, the Good Samaritan and the Hospital Melenciano, which have been receiving patients from Haiti since last week.

Both facilities have been overloaded as more patients arrive and the demand for post-operative care increases. Patients with pins sticking out of flesh, with amputations, and many children in body casts line every hallway and ground space.

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Real Medicine’s team is headed to Jimaní on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

We have identified two hospitals our doctors and nurses are able to work out of. Jimaní is the border town most overwhelmed by severely injured Haitians seeking medical help. Our contacts on the ground are reporting that severely injured patients are arriving in containers, often 30-40 persons in one container. Many of them requiring amputations.

We are accepting more doctors and nurses, especially trauma/ortho surgeons/nurses and anesthesiologists.

We will continue to report from the ground. Thank you…

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Aid expected to reach Haiti by land via Dominican Republic

By WSJ Staff

Aid began pouring into Haiti Friday not only by plane, but by truck across the border from the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican border town of Jimani bustled as David Gazashvili, CARE’s head of emergency response, and a team of CARE staff crossed in the early morning on their way to Port-au-Prince.

A couple dozen trucks lined up on the side of the road, about a kilometer outside the border on the Dominican side. Pickups were filled with young…

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U.S. Navy to Help Build Temporary Piers, Assess Port Damage By Associated Press

The Navy is going to try to get the wrecked seaport in Haiti’s capital up and running.

A Navy commander says the salvage ship Grasp is en route to Port-au-Prince with divers and underwater construction personnel to assess the damage to piers and other port facilities.

Rear Admiral Victor G. Guillory said Saturday the Navy will help build temporary piers and other facilities. Admiral Guillory is Navy commander for the U.S. Southern Command.

For now, the Navy is…

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USAID Haiti Earthquake Fact Sheet 4

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah visited Haiti on January 16 to personally convey support to the people of Haiti and meet with Haitian President Rene Preval, other Government of Haiti (GoH) officials, and the U.S. government (USG) field relief team.

As of 1500 hours local time on January 16, U.S. urban search and rescue (USAR) teams—working in concert with other international teams—had rescued 22 individuals from collapsed buildings, according to the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART).

On…

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View BBC Video--Survivors dig with their bare hands, looking for food and drink

From BBC.com

Up to 10,000 US troops will be on the ground or off the coast of Haiti by Monday to help deal with the earthquake aid effort, US defence officials say.

Tuesday’s earthquake has left as many as 50,000-100,000 people dead.

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said more than 15,000 bodies had already been recovered and buried, French news agency AFP reported.

The UN has launched a flash appeal for $562m (£346m),…

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Real Medicine Foundation: Haiti Earthquake Relief: Michael Lear

Real Medicine Foundation is presently assembling a logistic and medical team to deploy as early as Sunday evening to aid in the efforts on the ground in Haiti.

The recent report from the Pan American Health Organization/WHO highlights the main challenges facing the massive humanitarian effort underway.

Please DONATE to help us help Haiti

Emergency Operations Center Situation Report #1 Haiti Earthquake

One day after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, information is still difficult to obtain. The PAHO/WHO…

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Haiti Quake Damages Pile Up

January 13, 2010 - Haiti

Looks like the Presidential Palace and the UN peacekeeping HQ are among the more prominent buildings lost in today’s quake in Haiti. Obviously the least of the issues.

The U.S. embassy survived. As of now, nearly midnight, I have not heard what the U.S. military is doing. USS Carl Vinson is underway and would be a great choice to send.

It’s night in Port-au-Prince. It will not be a quiet one, with aftershocks continuing. I have to wonder about looting, as well. The UN is there to keep the peace for…

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Donate Now to Help Myanmar Families in Need

The Real Medicine team in Myanmar needs your help today to continue relief efforts for the farm recovery initiative there; just $11.25 will provide one family of five with enough rice to get them through critical harvest times.

To date, RMF’s Team Partner, IDE Myanmar, has provided a monsoon paddy package of rice seed, access to tillers, fertilizer, etc. to 58,383 families across the hardest hit areas of the delta. The team delivered 10,387 metric tons of rice seed directly to 1,197 villages…

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Desperation in Myanmar

May 18, 2008 - Myanmar

From our partners in Myanmar:

Dear Martina,

The skies have turned anthracite grey this afternoon in Yangon – an ominous sign that heavy rains are on their way in a few minutes. Winds are pushing the temporary plastic windows up against the back of my chair as I write. On my desk are photographs taken earlier this week of families in the Irrawaddy Delta huddled under a fallen tree during a downpour. These are dark days in Myanmar.

The magnitude of the crisis here is almost unimaginable. The latest realistic estimates are that over 100,000…

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Myanmar/Burma

May 14, 2008 - Myanmar

Myanmar/Burma

May 14, 2008 - Myanmar

Appeal for Aid for Cyclone Nargis Victims

Myanmar’s disaster from Cyclone Nargis is unprecedented; never before in the country’s  recent history has there been a natural disaster of this magnitude.  It is a disaster of international proportions. People living in the populous Irrawaddy Delta have lived on the periphery of cyclones where they have typically hit Bangladesh or been localized in the Bay of Bengal.  People and villages in Myanmar, including the city of Yangon, have never been in the direct path of a cyclone until Nargis.  The country was caught totally unaware and…

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