Perth doctors to volunteer in Somalia
AM - Saturday, 9 August , 2008
AM - Saturday, 9 August , 2008
Reporter: David Weber
ELIZABETH JACKSON: The United Nations says that by the end of the year nearly half of the population of Somalia will need humanitarian assistance.
Armed conflict, drought, and rising food prices are combining to create an unprecedented crisis there. In the midst of the chaos a volunteer doctor's organisation based in Perth is making a small but effective contribution.
David Weber reports.
DAVID WEBER: The group Australian Doctors for Africa was created to help Somalia recover from the 2005 tsunami.
Founder Dr Graham Forward says the group's now focusing on the northern state of Puntland, and the port city, Bosaso.
GRAHAM FORWARD: Puntland and Bosaso in particular is our first love. We're one of the few organisations who are able to visit there because we are flexible, and relatively low profile.
Our doctors and nurses are all volunteers, most from Australia, but not all. And we continue to return and try and make a small difference to that region.
DAVID WEBER: Why is Somalia your first love?
GRAHAM FORWARD: Well because there's such a need. These are pure and open-hearted people who are greatly under-resourced. The world has forsaken them really because of their conflict and turmoil, and we're able to provide a very small amount of assistance. And it does seem to make a difference.
DAVID WEBER: Do you think the world has said it's all too hard?
GRAHAM FORWARD: Well it has a reputation for being dangerous, even though Puntland is many hundreds of kilometres from Mogadishu. And it is too difficult for many of the large organisations.
DAVID WEBER: What kinds of things do volunteer doctors do in Puntland?
GRAHAM FORWARD: Well mainly we're involved in orthopaedics, that's our base specialty. But when our doctors go, we carry out a full range of emergency medicine assessments.
We treat infectious diseases; we deal with orthopaedic injuries; our nurses look after the theatres and the operating rooms, where we are trying to improve the standards of sterility and hygiene there.
DAVID WEBER: There are just over a hundred hospital beds for the 250,000 people in Bosaso.
Clan leader, Dr Abdulaahi Aumuse, says Puntland is stable and it's attracting thousands of refugees.
ABDULAAHI AUMUSE: You know Puntland has been relatively peaceful, but there has been some fighting in 2001, 2003. Now it's peaceful, but there are some accidents with kidnapping and you know pirates on the high seas. So these are the problems we are facing now.
DAVID WEBER: With all the problems there are some positives. Dr Aumuse says that despite a high infant mortality rate, maternal mortality in Puntland amounted to only three cases last year.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: David Weber with that report.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: The United Nations says that by the end of the year nearly half of the population of Somalia will need humanitarian assistance.
Armed conflict, drought, and rising food prices are combining to create an unprecedented crisis there. In the midst of the chaos a volunteer doctor's organisation based in Perth is making a small but effective contribution.
David Weber reports.
DAVID WEBER: The group Australian Doctors for Africa was created to help Somalia recover from the 2005 tsunami.
Founder Dr Graham Forward says the group's now focusing on the northern state of Puntland, and the port city, Bosaso.
GRAHAM FORWARD: Puntland and Bosaso in particular is our first love. We're one of the few organisations who are able to visit there because we are flexible, and relatively low profile.
Our doctors and nurses are all volunteers, most from Australia, but not all. And we continue to return and try and make a small difference to that region.
DAVID WEBER: Why is Somalia your first love?
GRAHAM FORWARD: Well because there's such a need. These are pure and open-hearted people who are greatly under-resourced. The world has forsaken them really because of their conflict and turmoil, and we're able to provide a very small amount of assistance. And it does seem to make a difference.
DAVID WEBER: Do you think the world has said it's all too hard?
GRAHAM FORWARD: Well it has a reputation for being dangerous, even though Puntland is many hundreds of kilometres from Mogadishu. And it is too difficult for many of the large organisations.
DAVID WEBER: What kinds of things do volunteer doctors do in Puntland?
GRAHAM FORWARD: Well mainly we're involved in orthopaedics, that's our base specialty. But when our doctors go, we carry out a full range of emergency medicine assessments.
We treat infectious diseases; we deal with orthopaedic injuries; our nurses look after the theatres and the operating rooms, where we are trying to improve the standards of sterility and hygiene there.
DAVID WEBER: There are just over a hundred hospital beds for the 250,000 people in Bosaso.
Clan leader, Dr Abdulaahi Aumuse, says Puntland is stable and it's attracting thousands of refugees.
ABDULAAHI AUMUSE: You know Puntland has been relatively peaceful, but there has been some fighting in 2001, 2003. Now it's peaceful, but there are some accidents with kidnapping and you know pirates on the high seas. So these are the problems we are facing now.
DAVID WEBER: With all the problems there are some positives. Dr Aumuse says that despite a high infant mortality rate, maternal mortality in Puntland amounted to only three cases last year.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: David Weber with that report.
