M'sian Medical Team Hands Over Equipment To Dr Sardjito Hospital

YOGYAKARTA, June 24 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Armed Forces Medical Team, which is about to leave for home after a month-long relief mission to earthquake hit Yogyakarta, Saturday handed over some of its medical equipment to the Dr Sardjito Hospital here.
Apart from equipment for major and minor surgery, the 76-strong team which is led by Col Dr S. Jegatheesan, also handed over unused medicines and disposable apparatus they had brought for the Malaysian Field Hospital set up in Jodog, Bantul near on May 28, the day after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit.
The items were received by the hospital's Chief of Disaster Team Prof Dr Sutaryo and Medical Director Dr Budi Mulyono.
According to Dr Jegatheesan, Dr Sardjito Hospital was chosen because it is the main referral hospital in the province, which has population of 3.4 million.
Speaking to Bernama earlier, he said the team would be leaving for home on June 28, after serving exactly one month in the devastated province and that it had provided treatment for some 3,500 survivors, which included 35 emergency surgeries, many minor operations and daily wound dressings.
Dr Jegatheesan, whose Yogyakarta tour of duty is his third such overseas mission, said the one month the team spent in Bantul was worth every minute of it as its members had the opportunity to learn to give their best under the worst of situations.
"Especially for the many first timers in the team, who now have gained immense experience practising in field conditions, which is totally different from a hospital set up," he said while paying tribute to the commitment by the men and women who made up the team.
Perhaps the repeated thanks from none other than the province's Governor himself, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, who is also the Sultan of Yogyakarta, aptly summed up the general appreciation by his subjects for the assistance rendered by the Malaysians, more so as they were the first foreign relief mission to arrive and the last to leave.
The sultan had also conveyed his heartfelt thanks to the Malaysian government and its people at every opportunity he got, including to visiting Malaysian dignitaries such as Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Malaysia's Ambassador to Jakarta Datuk Zainal Abidin Zain.
On Thursday, he had the opportunity to thank the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, who led a state government delegation comprising Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali, State Exco members and 10 other VIPs, including the Chairman of Bernama Datuk Mohd Annuar Zaini, who were here to present donations.