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From morn till night they brought relief
By Mihiri Wikramanayake
Dr. Tan Chi Chiu was one of millions who watched the December 26 horror of the tsunami disaster unfold on his television screen. Initial disbelief turned to shock and compassion and his natural instincts kicked in. Having previously volunteered in many countries affected by war, strife and disaster, he admits that he had never seen such devastation before. "I immediately felt the need to do something for those affected," said this Singaporean doctor.

Dr. Chiu put together a team of 28 volunteers from the private sector comprising doctors, nurses, anaesthetists and other medical experts. The team, all independent consultants for the Parkway Group Healthcare, Singapore, arrived in Sri Lanka by the end of the first week of the disaster with four tons of medical supplies donated by the Parkway Group.

They rushed directly to Unawatuna, Galle where they set up a base camp the first three days with the team of doctors attending to thousands of inmates in refugee camps and temporary shelters. Dr. Chui says that most patients suffered from unhealed, infected wounds, respiratory problems and gastroenteritis.

However, the psychosomatic conditions were far worse than the physical wounds. Fathers, children, widows and wives trooped in from morning till night and the team worked tirelessly to bring whatever relief they could. The team then moved on to Matara where they set up an out patient unit under the authority of the local MOH.

The situation was very much the same. People with lost relatives, torn from the warmth and security of homes, displaced without warning and tormented about their future filled the temporary camps.

According to Dr Chiu, the psychological trauma is very evident in these people. "However, the local authorities were doing a good job with respect to care and concern, considering the chaos that was wreaked in the areas," said Dr. Chui. "We saw no evidence of neglect in water, sanitation, food or shelter," he added. Dr. Rohan Mendis, a Sri Lankan domiciled in Singapore and attached to the team said that many of the children and women suffered from recurring thoughts of their experience and now intensely feared the sea.

"The long term effects for these victims are going to be much harder to deal with," he adds. However, both doctors agreed that the resilience of these people was extraordinary and they were surprised at the positive attitude of the victims.

The team commends the local authorities on the timing, efficiency and speed in which they have handled this devastating situation. "We were naturally prepared for the worst, and were surprised to find much of the chaos cleaned up and sanitation, water and shelter already available for the displaced," Dr. Chui said.

According to Dr Chiu, wherever possible international relief teams must work in conjunction with the local authorities in a proactive manner to facilitate effectiveness. The team is thankful to the Parkway Group Healthcare and the B. P. de Silva Group of companies for their support and to Singapore Airlines who provided them with free air fare and cargo space to make this relief effort possible.

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