Materia Medica Malaysiana

Mercy to the rescue

THE Malaysian Medical Relief Society, or Mercy Malaysia, was established in 1999 to provide medical and humanitarian aid to war-torn Kosova. Since then, it has sent missions to India, Indonesia, Turkey, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq and Sri Lanka.

While many Malaysians have read about Mercy Malaysia's derring-do in medical and humanitarian relief efforts abroad, few realise the extent of the organisation's work in the country.

Mercy's chief operating officer Mohd Shah Awaluddin said its domestic efforts consist of disaster relief, drug rehabilitation assistance and community programmes.

Since Malaysia is a relatively disaster-free country, Mercy's work concentrates on complementing the efforts of the Government and non-governmental organisations in providing relief to victims of disasters such as floods and fires.

"Our services include medical relief in the form of mobile medical clinics, food distribution and other relief items like clothing and blankets," he said.

Given its participation in disaster relief work in foreign lands, the organisation conducts ongoing preparedness training so that members will be ready to respond quickly should the occasion arises.

"These domestic programmes are also a training ground for our volunteers for international relief. We are raising our standard of humanitarian relief and we want to be on par with other countries," he said.

In the area of community work, Mercy despatches mobile medical clinics to rural communities and urban squatter communities.

"Our mobile clinics are quite unique. Apart from providing medical treatment, we have dental and psychological intervention prog-rammes, non-medical motivational programmes for children and distribution of relief items. So it is a hybrid-type of mobile clinic rather than just one that solely provides medicine," Mohd Shah said.

These community and disaster relief programmes are also run by Mercy chapters in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang, Kelantan and Sabah. One more will open in Sarawak soon. With the help of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Mercy conducts routine health check-ups at the mobile clinics. It hopes to gradually introduce a dental programme to all its chapters. It has already started its first mobile dental clinic in Grik at its community programme in Kampung Bongor.

Mercy Malaysia is also actively involved in its Drug Rehabilitation Assistance Programme (DRAP) which it launched last year.

"We realised that what we are doing internationally may not be similar to what we have in the country," said Mohd Shah.

Identifying drug addiction as a major problem, Mercy believes that as a homegrown organisation they have to do something about it.

"In our rehab programme, we assist former drug addicts to integrate back into society. We are not actually, at this point in time, rehabilitating or treating active drug addicts," he added.

Working with the National Drug Agency and a few community-based rehabilitation centres like Pengasih and Ulu Langat's Rumah Sahabat, the programme is divided into several units: humanitarian and outreach, economic, medical, training and awareness.

Mercy Malaysia provides assistance through home visits, counselling and motivational programmes.

One such motivational programme which it conducted last year was "Riang Ria Aidilfitri", which gave ex-addicts a chance to mingle with children from a local orphanage.

A shopping trip, conducted under close supervision, was a resounding success, with the ex-addicts playing "big brother" to the children.

They helped the children to colour Hari Raya cards and to select their festive clothing.

"Acceptance of ex-addicts is very difficult because of the stigma of drug addiction," said Datuk Dr Jemilah Mahmood, president of Mercy.

"The involvement of active drug users in the recent rape and murder of Nurul Huda Abdul Ghani has created more problems and reinforced the stigma against ex-addicts who are sincerely trying to reform."

"We should correct public perception and help them realise that not all drug addicts are rapists and murderers. There are 800,000 drug addicts in Malaysia. Of this number, only a small percentage commit crimes. A significant number are trying hard to be better people."

Programmes such as "Riang Ria Aidilfitri" helped reformed addicts to feel needed and useful to society.

The added benefit of such a match-up, she added, was that it allowed the orphans to enjoy some much-needed attention as well.

Mohd Shah said that rather than blaming drug users for their addiction, a holistic approach should be taken towards their rehabilitation.

Addiction is a debilitating disease which affects both the mental and physical aspects. It is sometimes the result of the inability to cope with the demands of modern living.

"People with hypertension, cancer and diabetes are given the opportunity to be treated and loved. Not so with drug addiction which is a sickness nonetheless," he said.

Another stumbling block which ex-addicts face in successful reinte-gration is securing employment.

According to both Mohd Shah and Dr Jemilah, the present hostile climate towards drug addicts has not improved matters for ex-addicts hoping to integrate back into society. Many lost their jobs after the Nurul Huda incident.

In the meantime, the economic unit of DRAP is busy compiling a database of prospective employers who are willing to hire ex-addicts.

Dr Jemilah has spoken to a few contractors and bricklayers who are willing to train them in manual labour skills.

She hopes that in future, when manpower and funds are stronger, the ex-addicts will be able to venture into construction work.

"My dream is to get them involved in volunteer construction work. In 1999, a Singaporean non-governmental organisation enlisted the help of reformed ex-addicts to rebuild some villages destroyed by the earthquake in Turkey.

"Upon their return to Singapore, society welcomed them back as useful human beings. We would not necessarily have to venture overseas, but we hope we can start doing something similar in the country with Mercy," she said.

Her suggestion was for the ex-addicts to do community service, repairing kampung homes that were damaged or in bad shape.

"We provide the materials to patch up the houses and we give them an allowance so it will improve their morale,"

Mercy has one special request for its DRAP programme: the help of more male volunteers. At present, most of the volunteers are female and the ex-addicts sometimes find it difficult to open up to members of the opposite sex.