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The impact of Cyclone Idai on Mozambique and the neighbouring region has been catastrophic: hundreds of thousands of people need medical care as basic health services have been severely disrupted.Thanks to the generosity of the government of Canada and Canadians donating to the Cyclone Idai appeal, Canadian Red Cross has sent its emergency field hospital to Mozambique. The hospital will be staffed by 25 Canadian aid workers, including doctors, nurses and technicians. They will help alleviate the tremendous strain that has been placed on local services and health professionals who have been working non-stop to provide urgent care.
With stagnant flood water covering an area of 3,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of Ottawa, the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases, including cholera and malaria, is incredibly high, and will continue to rise as flooding continues.
Mozambique Red Cross volunteers were on the ground before the onset of the disaster, and are continuing to help with support from the Red Cross Movement.
“People see the images of destruction and hear about the death count, and it’s just numbers. At the end of the day, every single one of these people have sisters, brothers, parents they are still looking for. They are just like you and me, but their lives have been upended.” – Corrie Butler, a Canadian aid worker working with Red Cross in Beira, Mozambique.
A beautiful moment of joy with women displaced by #CycloneIdai in #Mozambique, following local donation of sarongs.@CruzVermelhaMOZ volunteers are assisting thousands of people in accommodation centres with first aid & critical water & sanitation to prevent the risk of diseases pic.twitter.com/5p3MmGidcy
— Corrie (@CorButler) March 23, 2019
Canadian Red Cross emergency field hospital will provide vital medical support within 24 hours of arrival
Once fully assembled, the field hospital will have an operating theatre, a maternity ward and consultation rooms and will be able to provide many essential services within, including:
• First aid, including wound and fracture care;
• Surgery for trauma and other major medical conditions;
• Advanced life support;
• Overnight care for up to 50 patients;
• Consultations for up to 200 patients per day;
• Mother and child health services;
• Psychosocial support.
Canada’s emergency assistance funds enable @redcrosscanada to deploy an emergency field hospital to support #CycloneIdai relief efforts in #Mozambique, helping to address urgent health needs of crisis-affected people and prevent disease outbreaks. pic.twitter.com/9FPqtsO1hL
— Development Canada (@CanadaDev) March 26, 2019
You can help those affected by making a donation to the Canadian Red Cross Cyclone Idai Appeal online or by calling 1-800-418-1111.
