Locals Travel To Help Tsunami Victims
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WINONA LAKE - To do what they could, several locals traveled to India recently to help with tsunami relief.
Mike Taylor and his daughter Rebekah, along with two physicians, a physician's assistant, a nurse and a post-traumatic stress counselor, traveled the approximate 9,065 miles to India Feb. 4-14 to help with tsunami relief efforts.
"We just went to help with tsunami relief, specifically medical, that was our focus," said Mike, Grace Brethren International Missions director of personnel, Africa regional director, Winona Lake.
Mike also is a physician's assistant, working part time at MedStat. Rebekah, a Warsaw Community High School senior, served as the group's "pharmacist" while on the trip, dispensing medications per doctors' orders.
It is estimated 16,389 people died in India, the third hardest-hit area, because of the tsunami. Only Indonesia (234,730) and Sri Lanka (30,957) are estimated to have higher death tolls.
The team, under the auspices of Grace Brethren International Missions, partnering with Indian nationals, visited five villages during their stay - New Kalpakkam, New Nemali, Uyyalikuppam, Kokalamedu and Venpurusham.
To get to the villages, the team traveled two hours daily. They set up their clinic - a tent - and started seeing patients right away. A few of the days there, said Rebekah, were used to provide basic health training.
The efforts were three-fold, said Mike. First, they were there to provide primary health care. Secondly, to provide post-traumatic stress care and, third, to train villagers on how to provide health care.
In the villages, the team stayed four hours a day before their two-hour drive back. On average, Mike said they saw 50 people a day.
"The priority was to just take care of them," he said.
Rebekah said the most common problems were scabies and eye problems. A large number complained of visual problems, including cataracts, which commonly is found in older people, said Mike. Scabies was found in about one in five of the villagers they saw, but was easily treated. Many of the patients they saw also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"They were afraid it was going to happen again so they couldn't sleep," said Rebekah.
Mike said while he was encouraged by the sharp intellect of the people, they had a deep fear the tsunami would happen again.
Rebekah also said malnutrition was a problem. The people there are fishermen and live by the ocean, but they haven't been able to fish.
"They don't have boats," said Mike. "They don't have a lot of nets." They've also been told not to go out on the ocean, he said, because it's not safe yet. And they also are afraid of going out, too.
Even with India's huge loss of people, Mike said the Indian government is doing a good job of providing for the people's needs and keeping the peace.
"One of the big needs right now is permanent housing," said Mike.
At first, housing consisted of tarps on poles. Then indigenous huts were set up. Now, more permanent homes are in the works.
Planning for another trip to the area ravaged by the tsunami is underway, said Mike. They are waiting for the proper information from the Indian government before they go back.
"There's plenty of work to be done," said Mike.
He said they not only felt like representatives of the Missions, but also of the Warsaw community. WCHS allowed Rebekah to make the journey, and Kosciusko Community Hospital and especially MedStat provided significant amounts of supplies, Mike said.
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WINONA LAKE - To do what they could, several locals traveled to India recently to help with tsunami relief.
Mike Taylor and his daughter Rebekah, along with two physicians, a physician's assistant, a nurse and a post-traumatic stress counselor, traveled the approximate 9,065 miles to India Feb. 4-14 to help with tsunami relief efforts.
"We just went to help with tsunami relief, specifically medical, that was our focus," said Mike, Grace Brethren International Missions director of personnel, Africa regional director, Winona Lake.
Mike also is a physician's assistant, working part time at MedStat. Rebekah, a Warsaw Community High School senior, served as the group's "pharmacist" while on the trip, dispensing medications per doctors' orders.
It is estimated 16,389 people died in India, the third hardest-hit area, because of the tsunami. Only Indonesia (234,730) and Sri Lanka (30,957) are estimated to have higher death tolls.
The team, under the auspices of Grace Brethren International Missions, partnering with Indian nationals, visited five villages during their stay - New Kalpakkam, New Nemali, Uyyalikuppam, Kokalamedu and Venpurusham.
To get to the villages, the team traveled two hours daily. They set up their clinic - a tent - and started seeing patients right away. A few of the days there, said Rebekah, were used to provide basic health training.
The efforts were three-fold, said Mike. First, they were there to provide primary health care. Secondly, to provide post-traumatic stress care and, third, to train villagers on how to provide health care.
In the villages, the team stayed four hours a day before their two-hour drive back. On average, Mike said they saw 50 people a day.
"The priority was to just take care of them," he said.
Rebekah said the most common problems were scabies and eye problems. A large number complained of visual problems, including cataracts, which commonly is found in older people, said Mike. Scabies was found in about one in five of the villagers they saw, but was easily treated. Many of the patients they saw also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"They were afraid it was going to happen again so they couldn't sleep," said Rebekah.
Mike said while he was encouraged by the sharp intellect of the people, they had a deep fear the tsunami would happen again.
Rebekah also said malnutrition was a problem. The people there are fishermen and live by the ocean, but they haven't been able to fish.
"They don't have boats," said Mike. "They don't have a lot of nets." They've also been told not to go out on the ocean, he said, because it's not safe yet. And they also are afraid of going out, too.
Even with India's huge loss of people, Mike said the Indian government is doing a good job of providing for the people's needs and keeping the peace.
"One of the big needs right now is permanent housing," said Mike.
At first, housing consisted of tarps on poles. Then indigenous huts were set up. Now, more permanent homes are in the works.
Planning for another trip to the area ravaged by the tsunami is underway, said Mike. They are waiting for the proper information from the Indian government before they go back.
"There's plenty of work to be done," said Mike.
He said they not only felt like representatives of the Missions, but also of the Warsaw community. WCHS allowed Rebekah to make the journey, and Kosciusko Community Hospital and especially MedStat provided significant amounts of supplies, Mike said.
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