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01 September 2011
Greetings of Peace
Dear Recipients
Gift of the Givers has just been granted permission to set up base, medical teams, equipment and supplies at Banadir Hospital, the largest hospital in Mogadishu where thousands of patients are flocking to from various refugee camps in and around Mogadishu and the South, and are in desperate need of life saving medical assistance. The absence of trained and skilled medical personnel, non available medical supplies and dysfunctional medical equipment has resulted in the deaths of countless patients, mainly children, daily.
To respond to this catastrophic medical emergency Gift of the Givers is preparing an airlift of 35 tons of emergency medical supplies, medical equipment and nutritional supplements to Mogadishu on Monday, 5 September 2011, on our 7th mercy flight. In addition, a 30 member specialised medical team flies out on our 8th plane with another 4 tons of supplies on Tuesday, 6 September 2011. Contributions of relevant medical equipment and medical supplies from pharmaceutical and medical companies would be extremely pleasing and so would the provision of wheelchairs. We still require an orthopaedic surgeon, 2 anaesthetists, 1 theatre sister, 1 paediatrician and 2 primary health care nurses with special interests in paediatric patients especially the care of intravenous lines. For more information on medical requirements please contact Dr Yakub Essack on 0828091182 or 0836083177.
We thank South Africans for the unending, generous contributions, warm words and abundant prayers. Summary of progress thus far:
1. In the period 31 July 2011 to 16 August 2011 Gift of the Givers flew 6 planes into Mogadishu carrying 112 tons of emergency supplies.
2. A 20 member South African medical team provided medical care from 1-8 August 2011 treating in excess of 5000 patients, mostly malnourished, dehydrated children and saving many lives in the process. Every child was given R1300 of life saving nutritional supplements to take "home" to prevent onset, or arrest further deterioration, of severe malnutrition.
3. In excess of 5000 families were provided with dry food rations.
4. In the period 18-31 August 2011 three ships carrying 1500 tons of supplies were on the way to Mogadishu. An additional 240 tons of supplies depart in the next 48 hours.
5. Preparations are being made to load several hundred more tons of supplies that are pouring into our warehouses; all new loading of containers will take place between 6-9 September 2011 so those wanting to send their contributions are most welcome to do so.
Dr Hashi, Gift of the Givers representative in Mogadishu, has set up four Feeding Centres in different districts feeding a nutritious "wet" meal to 20 000 people per day. In addition, everyday, in different districts, 300 new families are given "dry" rations to try to stave off hunger in areas where we don't have feeding centres yet. Several hundred patients, mainly children, have been treated by Dr Hashi, with antibiotics, nutritional supplements and intravenous fluids, amongst other treatment modalities whilst awaiting the arrival of our new medical contingent.
Imtiaz Sooliman
Cell: 0832364029
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