Materia Medica Malaysiana

Mercy better able to help Darfur children now

PETALING JAYA: Efforts by Malaysia Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia) to help the children of Darfur will proceed smoothly because of the tremendous support from Malaysians in the past six weeks.

“You (the public) together with The Star have helped us realise one of our biggest dreams and we are very grateful for the support,” said Mercy Malaysia president Dr Jemilah Mahmood.

“Sudan was one of the greatest humanitarian challenges for us because of the lack of basic infrastructure, but our task has been eased because we have almost reached the targeted amount of money,” she added.

Dr Jemilah will be heading a team to West Darfur, Sudan, on Nov 19. Their job will be to oversee Mercy Malaysia’s operations there such as the start of the school and nutritional feeding programme, and the continuation of specialist medical care.

An educationist and a psychologist from Mercy Malaysia were sent to Darfur late last month and, together with the Sudanese ministry of education, they have successfully trained teachers in the Kerinding Two camp for internally displaced people in El-Geneina.

About 400 five- and six-year-old children will begin school on Nov 26.

The feeding programme will also involve the children of the school. They will be given milk and special nutritional biscuits during their meals.

Dr Jemilah is a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology and there is a paediatrician in the team that is leaving on Nov 19.

Chief operating officer Shareen Shariza said they would be based at the El-Geneina hospital and would handle cases that cannot be handled by the general practitioners in the camps.

Shareen added that the World Health Organisation had recognised Mercy Malaysia as the only non-governmental organisation in Darfur to offer specialist care.

Mercy Malaysia also stressed that there was a need for volunteers who are specialists in gynaecology, obstetrics and the administering of tropical medicine, as they expected to be in Darfur for at least a year.

Thank you for caring and giving so generously