German medics give their all in Aceh

German medics give their all in Aceh

Fadli and Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

From the outside the Zainal Abidin Hospital looks more like a
shipwreck than a medical center.

Sand, mud and debris still choke many of the hospital's
courtyards, while useless medical equipment -- damaged beyond
repair by the surging water -- stands idly in its hallways.

However, despite its outward condition, the hospital has
managed to stay open, playing a vital important role providing
post-tsunami medical services to the public, thanks to a mix of
local and foreign medical teams who began to clear the premises a
few days after the disaster -- among them, the German medics.

The team, consisting of 30 Medical Corps doctors and 120
supporting army soldiers under the command of Col. Dr. Cristoph
Wachter, established a medical center for tsunami victims at the
hospital on their arrival on Jan. 8. The team works closely with
other medical teams from Australia, Singapore and the United
States.

"We are here to provide as much assistance as possible to the
people of Aceh," German Medical Team press officer, Lt. Col.
Walter Hubert Schmidt told The Jakarta Post.

Schmidt explained the medical center -- set up within a
compound of tents at one of the hospital's courtyard -- was
equipped with a surgery, laboratory, two intensive care units and
a 12 beds, enabling the team to treat an average of some 70
patients each day.

"We have so far treated about 1,150 patients, who were mostly
suffering from open wounds," he said. "We have also assisted
Indonesian doctors giving vaccination shots to some 1,300 people
living in refugee camps."

Schmidt said the German team also had a similar hospital at
sea -- aboard the Berlin, a German navy hospital ship anchored
off the coast of Banda Aceh. With more facilities, the ship is
also equipped with two helicopters for medical evacuations.

"We recently evacuated a dengue fever patient on board for
treatment," he said. "The evacuation was also a measure to
prevent any possible outbreaks of the disease on land."

The team was not satisfied with only temporary health
solutions, however, he said.

Its next mission in Aceh would be to help fully rehabilitate
the Zainal Abidin Hospital in cooperation with the German Federal
Agency for Technical Relief (THW), which had previously helped
restore its electricity and water supplies.

"We will restore the hospital's surgery rooms, ICU wing,
laboratories, and X-ray rooms" he said. "We will also provide the
hospital with any necessary medical equipment and train
Indonesian doctors to operate it."

With repairs to the hospital underway, Schmidt said the team's
humanitarian mission in Aceh would be completed by mid-March --
in line with the government's request to gradually replace
military personnel with civilians by March 26.

"What is important is that we have given all the help that we
could have given, both to any needy patients and to the
Indonesian doctors" he said. "Afterwards, I'm sure the Indonesian
doctors will be able to carry on after we leave the country."