 Dear members of the Asian Disaster Network
We have again been stuck with another natural disaster affecting our brothers & sisters in Myanmar. We are indeed choked at the devastation loss of lives and unsurmountable loss and trauma physical and mental morbidity that is being experienced. On the other hand due to the unending series of disasters we have faced in the region we have a number of us in this group of AFPA who have developed tested expertise that is expectable and useful in the regional context. The Tsunami experience , The Kashmir Earthquake, The Mud slide tragedy at Philippines, the Cyclone of Bangladesh and of course our earlier earth quakes at Kobe and similar which we have all been involved and assisted have brought with it expertise as was displayed at the Disaster symposium at Seoul organised by Prof Moon young Chung and Prof Maeda at the WPA Regional meeting last year
I have had discussions with Dr Raymond Tint Way on behalf of the Burmese Medical Association Australia which is lead by Dr Aye Aye Bartlett President, Dr Christine Tan and their group of doctors who have been working in building the capacity of the medical force in Myanmar. I also had the opportunity to speak to Prof Hla Myint the Professor of Medicine at Rangoon who is currently on a invited visit in Australia and returning on the week end to Rangoon with regards to the support and help we would like to offer our colleagues and the community at this very difficult times. While the immediate issues are around fund raising we feel that the next stage will be the Psycho Social Disaster recovery which will require training teaching and capacity building of professionals beyond the mental health staff to attend to such a vast need with such minimal resources available
We would like to invite the Asian Disaster Net work and others from Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations expertise to offer suggestions advise and volunteer to offer time and their expertise to assist the coping with this Disaster. We are planning to be able to have a group of our network to be able to go out and offer teaching training and other capacity building initiatives
Can I ask you to get back to me or to Dr Aye Aye Bartlett and Dr Raymond with as support and help you can offer .
I will also request the WPA Section on Disaster Intervention of which I am an executive with Prof Moty Benyakar the Chair He has developed AV program for use at disasters and we will request him to send this to be used at this time
Thank you for being part of AFPAs Asian Disaster Net work and offering your expertise and support
Yours Sincerely
Russell DSouza
Asian Disaster Net Work
AFPA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joshua Way [mailto:jostint@hotmail.com]
Sent: 08 May 2008 00:41
To: Rusell Dsouza
Cc: deva prof parameshvara; aye aye bartlett; christine tan; thaneoke kyawmyint; Zawwin Oo; myint tun; khynenyunt; Theresa Wong; Kyaw Myint Malia; Thomas Wong
Subject: Re: Joint Effort to Raise Funds for Victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma
Dear Russell
I refer to our telephone conversation earlier this evening, and thank you for agreeing to a joint effort between the Burmese Medical Association of Australia (Sydney) and the South Asian Forum International of Mental Health and Psychiatry to arrange urgent assistance for the victims of Cyclone Nargis. I have also received expressions of concern and offers of help from Professor Deva.
We have all been overwhelmed and horrified by the magnitude and ferocity of the cyclone that struck parts of Burma in recent days, wiping out numerous villages in the coastal area, as well as devastating Rangoon, and leaving a trail of death and destruction. Vast numbers of people have been killed and many more left homeless, hungry and in need of clean water, shelter, clothing and medical treatment.
I fear that many more people may die of communicable diseases, as a result of lack of clean water, poor sanitation, and because of the isolation of many of the small towns and villages, the impassability of many of the roads and the consequent difficulty of delivering aid to those most in need of it. The suffering of the people is immense and the need is urgent, and therefore we feel that our joint effort should be quickly put into effect so that urgently needed supplies can be delivered to the people and places where they are needed most. The BMAA has set up a bank account in the name of "Burmese Doctors Relief Fund" at the Commonwealth Bank (Australia); signatories are Dr Aye Aye Bartlett (President, BMAA) and Dr Christine Tan (Treasurer, BMAA); account number: 06 2000 11 64 5054. We invite generous donations from colleagues and associations of psychiatrists to this fund, which will be sent to the disaster and trauma victims in Burma to meet their needs for food, clean water, clothing, shelter and medical supplies. Donors in Australia may make deposits directly into the above account. Overseas donors may need to send a bank draft to you, so that you could pass them on to us.
As the Asian Disaster Network Co-ordinator, with vast experience in disaster intervention, you are well placed, along with Professor Deva and other colleagues of SAFi and the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations, to give expert advice and assistance to our colleagues in Burma, in the second phase.
Thank you again for your assistance and support.
Kind regards
Raymond Tint Way
BMAA(Sydney)
Re:26 Bradley Drive, Carlingford,NSW 2118 Australia
Email: jostint@hotmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Drs Ba Thaung, Raymond Tintway and Colleagues in Psychiatry, Myanmar,
It is with deep shock that I learnt of the massive disaster that Cyclone NARGIS and the accompanying tidal surge has wreaked on the gentle land of our friends in Myanmar. On behalf of the South Asian Forum for Mental Health and Psychiatry- International and the Section on Psychiatry in Developing Countries of the WPA and the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations (AFPA), I send all of our Myanmar colleagues and their loved ones our condolences on the tragic loss of life and our wishes for a speedy recovery of the lives of the people of Myanmar.
Dr E Mohandas, President elect of the Indian Psychiatric Society and the South Asian Forum has informed me just now that Indian Chapter of the SAFMHP-I has decided to assist the Myanmar Psychiatric Association with financial and other help in the coming weeks. Due to problems in communication to the capital of Myanmar Yangon, he will be in contact with our colleagues in Myanmar through mutual friends in both countries. Dr Mohandas can be contacted at e mail emohandas53@gmail.com
Assistance is most welcome in this disaster that already has affected a million people with 22 000 dead and a reported 40,000 missing. I do hope our colleagues in the psychiatric profession worldwide will provide assistance through the SAFMHP-I. Please contact Dr Afzal Javed Founder of SAFMHP-I and Secretary of the WPA Section on Psychiatry in Developing Countries.
e mail,
afzal@afzaljaved.co.uk
Thanking you,
M P Deva
Adviser South Asian Forum on Mental Health & Psychiatry International
Chairman, WPA Section on Psychiatry in Developing Countries |
Ministry of Health, (2003) No.013
ICP:No.040657