AMSAHK Newsletter
Volume 1; Issue No. 1; 27 January
2005
The Wake of Tsunami Catastrophe
“I saw mile after mile of
desolation but also saw examples of the
best that humanity has to offer. If this disaster was unprecedented,
so was the international response.”
– Kofi. A. Annan, Secretary-General of UN during recent
visit to tsunami-affected countries.
Newspapers over the past fortnight have been
splattered with heartrending stories of defenseless victims failing
to deaths and diseases, as people around the world were slowly
awakened to the devastating tsunami tragedy on 26th December 2004
afflicting millions of people in the South Asian region, already
stricken with poverty and plagues. The deadly tsunami has not
simply destroyed regions close to Hong Kong, but also homelands
of our friends in Asia - many were people we have met during conferences
as members of AMSA International, just like you and I.
In the aftermath of this disaster, we may not
be able to offer them substantial practical aid. Yet awareness
of such critical world issue is vital for us as future healthcare
providers We hope through our series of 4 episodes to bring you
some firsthand, personal experiences related to us by representatives
from the Asian countries whom we have maintained close contacts
with through the AMSA network. Many of them have stepped up to
urgent calls for relief by participating in voluntary services
at the severely destroyed provinces. Here we would like to acknowledge
AMSA international for their support and photos taken by the volunteers.
A Volunteer’s Journey - Part One
of Two
Dara Rosmailina (Nana), the Overall Chairperson of AMSA International,
is now working as a voluntary medical assistant in Aceh, one of
hardest hit in Indonesia. Here she tells us her story…
In the early morning on the day after our arrival,
we drove from Medan to Aceh by car. The journey took us 13 hours,
yet we felt so vulnerable and unsafe to drive alone, we had to
drive along with other cars to accompany ours.
At 10 p.m., we eventually reached Aceh. There
have already been ongoing military forces and conflicts in Aceh
even before the disaster happened, so I was expecting a very bad
condition. Yet at a glance over this heavily stricken area, I
just couldn’t imagine what I saw. There were no military
operations, no fights because it has no life. Most of the areas
are completely wiped out, leaving a dead and lifeless place of
nothing, which I wouldn’t call a “city”.
While
most areas were demolished, there were temporary camps being set
up to settle down the survivors. Passing by the city, I felt unusually
cold and insecure. Later in the night we finally settled down
and stayed at the NGO’s quarters, as we had to start our
work right in the following day… (end of part 1)
Please continue to follow up on our updates as
we gather deeper insights into the stories of Nana and other people
– their circumstance, their action and their future.
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