Norbert’s Tsunami Blogging

Another e-mail report from Norbert with the Korean medical team in Aceh, Indonesia:

Today, we were again divided into three units with the first unit at the ER of Fakinah Hopsital of Matai refugee camp treating about 50 patients with internal and dermatological symptoms. Aspiration pneumonia, for one thing, is under control with ample supply of right medicines brought from Korea.

The second unit worked also inside the Matai refugee camp treating about 100 people. Many were with external wounds and pneumonia. Today the mayor of Banda-Aceh and an MP visited this unit as a courtesy to the foreign relief effort.

The third team set up its own sizeable clinic at a place called Ketabang and treated another 50 patients. There is an Indonesian army camp here. JAICA has its bigger clinic at Ketabang treating as many as 300 patients from 9 to 11. Because of this, there was a slight opposition from JAICA regarding establishing a Korean camp here but we could prevail in the end with some help from IMA–there simply are too many people in need of medical attention.

Many suffer from acute malnutrition for having lived on nothing but salt for seven to ten days.

The second KEMAT team due here on the 13th will be divided into two units–one for Hayo(?) refugee camp and another for Ketabang camp. Dr. Yong Jin Kwon, the leader of first team, as well as three medical students and one local interpretor will stay on with the second team until the 16th.

Scroll down for more information about Dr. Norbert Vollertsen, his previous reports, and how you can help his team.