Even before the tsunami hit, medical care in northern
Sri Lanka wasn't what you would call ideal.
Beds at hospitals
have always scattered outdoor walkways, and even babies
have had to face the elements.
But now, it is worse.
The tsunami wiped
out homes and entire villages. People now cling to
whatever foreign help comes their way.
Dr. Mervyn Samuel
traveled 9,000 miles to his homeland of Sri Lanka
with the mission of helping anyone who needs it, with
everything from basic first aid to prenatal care.
Dr. Samuel is an OB/GYN,
so he knows pregnancy doesn't stop during a disaster,
no matter how great. But he also knows the aftermath
of the tsunami has changed people’s lives in
other ways.
“The main concern
is nutrition, because they have lost their homes.
So are they taking medicines, iron and vitamins?”
Dr. Samuel wonders.
A makeshift medical
clinic inside one tsunami relief camp appeared anything
but well-equipped. Uncomfortable wooden tables served
as medical beds, and antibiotics were clearly hard
to come by.
One by one, tsunami
victims came to the clinic where Dr. Samuel was assisting.
People were waiting to have just one moment with this
American doctor and thankful to be alive.
The village of Mullaitivu
once had a population of 5,000. It’s estimated
that only 1,000 of the villagers survived.
Dr. Samuel and his
nurse from McArthur, Ohio, Loretta Faris, brought
other basic care items to give to people they encountered.
They passed outtoothbrushes, toothpaste and dental
floss to people who came to the clinic.
Four out of eight
maternity clinics on the east coast of Sri Lanka were
destroyed. In addition, those remaining suffered considerable
damage. Dr. Samuel told 10TV that his greatest concern
is making sure healthy babies are born to healthy
mothers. |
