MERCY To The Rescue In Times Of Disasters

MERCY Malaysia (MM) is a name recognised by many Malaysians as a homegrown non-profit disaster relief organisation.

However, not many realise they are also active in providing disaster relief in Sarawak since the MERCY Malaysia Sarawak Chapter (MMSC) was established in 2003 with its headquarters in Miri.

Most of the chapter’s activities are presently focused on mobile health clinics in rural areas and emergency relief responses in cases of disasters such as floods and fires, programme officer Temenggong Lasa told thesundaypost.

Goodwill on the ground

Since Feb 2013, MMSC have carried out 10 mobile clinic missions to various parts of rural Sarawak. The largest to date was in April this year at Nanga Ngungun, Kanowit, where they provided basic health services to about 629 people over two days.

The remaining two more mobile clinics were carried out this year in Bario (July, benefiting 312 people) and Long Pilah in Ulu Baram (Sept, benefiting 316 individuals.

Temenggong added that in general, there were two types of missions. Short missions are day trips which can cost up to RM30,000 per trip to transport personnel and supplies.

Long missions require teams to be based at a certain location, usually deep in the interior areas, for at least three days and two nights, and can cost between RM35,000 to RM40,000 per trip, depending on the objective and nature of the mission.

Given the challenging logistics and not insignificant cost for many rural residents to travel to the nearest government clinic or hospital, mobile clinics, organised by MMSC, are always well-received with each clinic usually attracting at least a few hundred people.

“We try to select a central location which is accessible for people from nearby areas to travel to.

At the very least, the mobile clinic will be there at a certain location for two days to allow for those coming from further away,” Temenggong explained.

Engaging the local community is crucial to ensure the services needed reach and benefit as many people as possible while the team is there.

Before each mobile clinic, a team from MMSC will visit the area to survey travel conditions and consult local community leaders and village heads to find out what type of services and aid are most needed.

Based on identified needs and the size of the mission, MMSC will assemble a team consisting of 20 to 30 members and volunteers, including at least two medical doctors. They also liaise with local government health agencies and pharmacies to purchase the necessary medicines in appropriate quantities.

“We want to make sure we have enough medicine for everyone who comes but we also try not to keep a large inventory at any one time because they can expire,” Temenggong said.

At least one month before each visit, letters are sent to the village heads and local government agencies in the targeted areas as well local community leaders to notify them of the upcoming visits.

As most rural residents rely on radio broadcast for news, using RTM’s language broadcasts to get the word out within the targeted area is an important component of MMSC’s information dissemination strategy.

Helping hands

According to Temenggong, the biggest challenges are bringing in the necessary people, equipment and supplies into the targeted areas due to the remote locations of their missions. Oft-times, the only way in is by four-wheel drives over difficult terrain, or longboats.

“It’s not just about travelling to those areas but also making sure we bring everything we may need so that no one misses out,” he said.

In addition to basic medical treatment, the mobile clinics also offer pap smear tests for women (together with Sarawak Family Planning), dental services, blood glucose and blood pressure tests.

Where required, they also help with writing letters of recommendation for urgent medical cases to seek specialist treatment at government hospitals as well as help with travel and accommodation expenses.

In fact, the Kuching office keeps four beds ready to cater to outstation patients in need of accommodation while seeking treatment in the state capital.

The teams also dispense hygiene kits and conduct public awareness talks on personal hygiene to local residents and school children. They also provide reading glasses for adults and conduct basic fire-drills with the Fire and Rescue Department.

The chapter presently has about 200 members and registered volunteers from all professions and all walks of life across the state with many working in the civil service, especially in public healthcare, Temenggong disclosed.

Water and fire

MMSC is now readying its emergency response in case of flooding during this year-end monsoon season which can stretch into the early months of the new year and is usually one of the busiest periods for its emergency response services.

The teams work closely with government agencies such as the Civil Defense Department and Fire and Rescue Department to coordinate relief efforts.

In February last year, MMSC rallied volunteers and members for a flood response that benefitted 3,400 people from Long Bemang, Long Atip, Long Watt, Long Buang and Long Panai.

In January and February this year, their emergency response teams were called on yet again to provide assistance to families and individuals affected by floods in Kampung Sebemban, Serian, Kampung Tebakang, Kampung Stass in Bau, and Kampung Semera in Kota Samarahan.

MMSC is also always ready to roll out in case of other emergencies such as fires.

As a non-profit, the number of missions MMSC carries out every year depends on the amount of funds it receives from corporate and public donations.

Temenggong hoped more local companies or multinationals with a local presence would step forward to work together with MMSC so that the chapter could increase its missions and aid programmes.

Cash donations made within Malaysia are tax deductible and may be made online through www.mercy.org.my or via bank accounts MERCY Humanitarian Fund (MBB 5621 7950 4126) and MERCY Malaysia (CIMB 1424-0006561-05-3)

The public who wish to donate to MMSC missions are advised to indicate accordingly and to notify the chapter via email at temenggong@mercy.org.my.

Villagers of Ng Sumpa, Batang Ai, who lost their longhouse in a devastating fire, and MMSC team members working together to sort out food, clothing and basic necessities before distributing them to the affected families.

Brief history

MERCY Malaysia (MM) or Malaysian Medical Relief Society focuses on providing medical relief, sustainable health related development and risk reduction activities for vulnerable communities in both crisis and non-crisis situations.

As a non-profit organisation, MM relies solely on funding and donations from organisations and generous individuals to continue providing humanitarian assistance both in Malaysia and abroad. The organisation is a registered society under the Societies Act (1966) in Malaysia.

MM was founded by Dr Jemilah Mahmood in 1999 in response to the conflict in Kosovo. She wanted to volunteer her medical services there but could not find a local organisation to sponsor her. Together with a group of friends, Dr Jemilah registered MM with the Registrar of Societies. Then together with Helping Hands USA, MM managed to send a total of five missions to Kosovo to provide mobile medical care.

This pattern would repeat itself in following years when MM members and volunteers could often be found on the frontlines of disaster relief efforts in Malaysia as well as abroad. In 2014, the organisation spent a total of RM12.4 million to provide emergency relief and humanitarian services to citizens in 12 countries, including Malaysia, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Reflecting the organisation’s aims of providing timely, non-denominational aid to those in need, teams comprise Malaysians from all walks of life with the single goal of helping others, regardless of race, religion, culture or boundary.

The MERCY Malaysia Sarawak Chapter (MMSC) was founded in 2003 by Benjamin Chai who also headed it. He joined MM as a volunteer in 2001 and on his own expense, served in international relief missions.

After extensive exposure, he set up the MMSC in 2003 and headed its first mission to Long Bedian in Ulu Baram the same year.

At first, members and volunteers would conduct missions from their homes but later an office was established at Piasau Garden in Miri. In 2014, the office was relocated to Kuching.

On Oct 24, MM executive council ex officio Associate Prof Dr Mohammad Iqbal Omar officiated at the launch of MMSC’s Kuching office located on the First Floor, Lot 90, Blok 71 (KCLD), 10th Mile, Penrissen Road, 93250 Kuching (behind the Padawan Municipal Council office).

Sources: MERCY Malaysia Sarawak Chapter, MERCY Malaysia 2014 Report, www.mercy.org.my