CalisYoda's Reflections: Medical Mission to Meulaboh

“Every so often in the search for the reason for living,
heroes and peacemakers are born out of ordinary men.”

I recently returned from Meulaboh, Indonesia on a medical mission as a medical volunteer with the Singapore Red Cross Society. This mission was from 6 April to 15 April.

It was a life-changing and enriching event for me, to see first hand the power of nature, the hunger for survival and the resilience of the human spirit.

This is my story…

Sharing my experience in a presentation with the children I’m coaching

Day 1
April 6 2005
Singapore - Medan
The day began at 4.30am. I woke up early to prepare for the trip. I set off to Changi Airport at 6am by taxi and arrived there at 6.30am.I met up with my team-mates, checked in and boarded the airplane. We departed at 8.40am for Medan, a big city in Sumatra.

We arrived at Medan, Indonesia an hour later. We attended a briefing about the latest update before we head out to Meulaboh tomorrow morning. This was the first leg of our medical mission with the Singapore Red Cross Society. We spent the rest of the day walking around Medan just taking up the sight. It was a totally different rhythm of life, culture and lifestyle in Medan.

The locals were very warm here. They had our safety at heart. I was told, wearing my army camouflage pants may cause some unwanted unrest among the local militant group in Meulaboh. I may be mistaken for a spy and get myself under fire. Sticking to their advice, I now own three dark blue pants after 2 hours of frantic search for a shop that sell clothes.

In the evening, we rested in a simple yet cosy guesthouse. It was situated in the high-class dormitory area of University of Medan.

I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be different…

Day 2
April 7 2005
Medan - Meulaboh.
7am.
It’s quiet out here in the airport as we get ready to leave for Meulaboh. We will spend the next nine days providing medical assistance to the villagers there. Our one-hour journey on board a private 12-seater aircraft gave me time for a mental preparation on what I would see shortly.
The view was breath-taking.
The land looked like nothing happened.
No earthquake.
No tsunami

Breath-taking scene of clouds above mountains

Aerial view of different parcels of land and winding river

Aerial shot of jungle and river

Meulaboh's ONLY airfield/airport

We landed on a small airfield upon our arrival in Meulaboh. The Chief Co-coordinator from Singapore met us there. We proceeded to the coordination centre where it serves as a base for the medical teams from Singapore in Meulaboh. I orientate myself around base camp - the camp established by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC). Tonight, we get ready our medical supplies and kits.

Tomorrow, we start our mission.

Camp.
Walking around the camp, I was very impressed by the amenities available. There were shower cubicles, toilets and a small canteen managed by an Iranian chef. There were also a satellite dish, television and dial-up internet connection. The camp was surrounded by four powerful flood lights. The contract staff from the Norwegian, French, Italian, Swedish and Japanese Red Cross were very friendly and welcomed me warmly. I felt at home. I am beginning to like this place.

I AM READY FOR TOMORROW.

Day 3 – 5
April 8 – 10 2005

Day 3
April 8 2005
On-site Ground Zero.
9am.
Today, the co-coordinator brought us on a tour of the coastal town which was demolished by the earthquake and tsunami. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for what I saw. Anything still standing was a pale shadow of a once thriving town. There were some locals, under the employment of the United Nations, clearing away debris just to earn a day’s wage.

Remains of destroyed and washed-away houses

Locals working together to clear debris and reconstruct their neighbourhood

On the way there this morning, we passed an almost completely demolished building. Only small parts of the complex's wall remained, barely taller than a man's knee. Our guide told us that it used to be a prison complex. On the day the tsunami struck, the guards had no time to get the prisoners out.
They all died.
Suffocated.
Drowned.
Without a hint of knowing what happened except for the fact that the prison was flooded.
It was painful to see the remains of the building and not think about the people who died that way.

A devastated house further down the road gave us a vivid picture of what the killer wave did to the prisoners and the prison complex. The house was still mercilessly crushed although it had the protection of the sturdy coconut trees.

Remains of a house after destruction caused by tsunami

Day 3-5
April 8 - 10 2005
Hospital.
After the tour of the devastated coastal town we returned to camp for lunch. In the afternoon, we visited the ONLY hospital serving four districts in and around Meulaboh. The sanitary conditions in the hospital were very troubling. Patients were housed in cramped wards. Doctors were operating on patients out in the open under non-sterile conditions. We helped the trainee nurses change the dressings on some of the patients in the Emergency Department. One of the patients was vomiting. There was no proper disposal bags except for a large red pail marked ‘VOMIT’.

After orientating ourselves with the layout of the hospital, the available facilities and manpower, we focused our efforts and expertise where it's most acutely needed. We provided support to the under-trained hospital staff and treatment to the patients for 3 days.
Some cried with gratitude at our presence and assistance.

This made me think about how fortunate we are in Singapore…

Day 6 – 8
April 11 – 13 2005
On Medical Assignment - Mobile Clinic.
Things were going very well here.
We had set up mobile clinics in different villages everyday.
This was the first time these villagers have seen foreigners.
We have already encountered several interesting villagers.
A few of them with deformed limbs came to us expecting a miracle healing.
Many middle-aged men complained of breathing difficulties and heart conditions.
We explained to them that this was caused by their excessive smoking habit.
We had to emphasize to them that they had to play an active role in managing their chronic conditions, and not expecting an instantaneous cure.
While the doctor in our team checked the patients, I assisted by dispensing out medication and advising the doctor about the medicine.
We also distributed bottles of multi-vitamin syrup to the children. Our hearts soared when the children smiled from ear to ear and thanked us with twinkles in their eyes.

A lot of them mistook me for a doctor, but no matter how hard to tried to explain that I am not, they still persisted in calling me ‘Doctor’.
They had a lot of respect and gratitude for us in travelling 4-5 hours away from town across challenging terrains just to reach them for a few hours. Medical consultation is free for villagers as part of the relief programme by IFRC.

Getting to the first village on the morning of our first day of our Mobile Clinic assignment was a challenge.
The road leading in was flooded and the road conditions weren’t the best.
The tsunami had damaged roads and bridges, making land transportation almost impossible.
We had to navigate through roads full of potholes, muddy and flooded roads, and damaged but serviceable bridges.
We travelled across a severely damaged bridge which was repaired and laid over with planks. Next to it was an utterly damaged and twisted steel bridge which once serviced heavy vehicles such as trucks.
We had an anxious yet exciting time crossing the bridge in our vehicle.
We faced the risk of capsizing and plunging into the mud-filled river.

Damaged bridge which we crossed

An utterly destroyed bridge next to the damaged bridge which we crossed

We continued our journey after the crossing the bridge, coming to a long stretch of muddy and flooded road after 2 hours.

Close-up shot of flooded and muddy road

Negotiating a stretch of flooded and muddy road on our way during our Mobile Clinic assignment

Our van was stuck in a mud pothole.
We had a tough time pushing it out. But in the end, we managed to reach our destination.

I will write more later.

Break time over.
It’s back to work.

Day 9
April 14 2005
Meulaboh - Medan
Nightfall

Lone house amidst an awashed field - a representation of the resilience of the human spirit surviving the onslaughts of castastrophe and tragedies

Its been a truly life changing week.
The people here have the insatiable hunger to survive.
We completed our task for the villagers and are now preparing to return home.
I know I will leave this place with a heavy heart.
There are so many things that I want to continue to do for the people in Meulaboh.
I experienced so many things that makes me feel like I have lived a million lifetimes over and over.
The one thing that stayed with me is that the spirit of the people is so resilient in this time of turmoil.
You can see the fiery fighting spirit in their eyes.
You can feel it in the way they move, the way they breathe, the way they live…

Looking back at the past few days of sights of flag markings to denote bodies and buildings,
to watching hospital patients vomit into a common pail marked "VOMIT",
to understanding the power of nature,
to comprehending why I am there to help,
to experiencing that need for support among volunteers and locals,
to accepting why saying goodbye isn’t necessarily a bad thing,
to embracing that everything comes full circle.

Maybe one day, I will be back here again, sitting next to my volunteer friends talking about old times and out there in the fields, saving one life at a time.

We returned to Medan this afternoon for the flight back to Singapore tomorrow.
I must return to my packing and turn in for the night.

Will write more tomorrow.
Good night.

Day 10
April 15 2005
Medan - Singapore
We arrived back at Medan, but this time it was to return to Singapore.
Our medical mission was a success.
We treated patients and gave them hope.
I am now sitting at the departure lounge waiting to board the plane.
I looked at my reflection in the body-length glass panes.
Seems I’ve lost weight.
Not as bad as my friend who fell and broke his ribs.
Things happen, things we can’t prevent.

I can still feel that excitement in me.
The excitement of the rare opportunity for a Singaporean to be out in a disaster area, providing relief assistance and interacting with people who survived such a large scale disaster.
This is something money can’t buy.

I am boarding shortly, they’ve just opened the gate.
Will end my diary here.

“Calling for all passengers, please have your boarding pass ready…”

Meulaboh, Indonesia. April 2005. A Picture Diary.
Pictures of Meulaboh enroute to villages during Mobile Clinic assignment.