It can be pretty frustrating when you know a lot of action (I don't mean to be so excited over a disaster) is going on the other side of the world (I mean, Beluran) and I'm missing it, and all I can do is furiously tap on my phone with a toothpick (I mean, stylus) to orchestrate the whole drama (I mean, the disaster management plan)Last week Beluran has seen one of its longest stretch of rain, falling for a few days non stop and the District Office calling for an Operational Room running 24 hours to update the disaster committee on the latest flood situation in the district. Week before that we had a meeting on our own level in the Health Office, where we drew up a few teams to be on-call when disaster strikes, listed the vehicles to be used and source of food supply in case we need to send rescue and relief teams out. It seemed like our prediction and preparation was right, towards the end of last week the flood alarm has been sounded, three areas has been declared flooded and few of our staffs need to be evacuated to higher grounds.
On Wednesday night, a distress call was received from Tangkarason, an area that can be reached in 3 1/2 hours land route, noting to us about a mother that has come in to the clinic with incomplete miscarriage and possibly bleeding. They shouldn't have problem sending the lady out but the road was flooded and not before we could do proper assessment of the situation, their satellite phone, the only form of communication to the area was disrupted (no hand phone connectivity here). I almost sent a 300HP boat out to the area, a journey that would take 5 hours in good visibility and fair weather condition through the open sea. On reconsidering the options, I aborted the plan as it would be too risky to send a team out into the rough sea at night. Further more, the journey would take well more than 6-7 hours in the dark. The flood might have subsided by the time they reach and it would be safer then to send the patient out by road, provided she gets through the night. With communications disconnected throughout the night (my nursing sister tried calling them until past midnight) I had to put my faith on the senior staffs there to do the right thing - which they did, as the flood subsided they mobilised the ambulance and sent the lady to the nearest hospital - which is in a neighbouring district.
Flood might have subsided slightly, but it continued to rain. More areas were declared flooded by the next day. I had to caution the clinics and hospital for any unusual rise in diarrhoeal cases while be on alert also for dengue cases.
On Friday, it continued to rain until one of my nurses had to be evacuated, reportedly her house was submerged under water (probably reaching roof la). By afternoon, I've received 2 other distress call from 2 separate areas affected by the flood about food shortage - in Sg.Sungai and Paitan. Since I was already in KK at that time attending tender meeting for the collapsing Maternal and Child Health Clinic, I had to orchestrate the whole drama back in Beluran via phone calls and smses. Subsidised reload-cards were dished out to officers involved in flood management and some staffs were summoned to work over-time. 2 communities were stranded for at least 4 days and we had to organise food relief for them.
Unfortunately by late evening we still could not find a supplier willing to supply such large amount of grocer at such short notice, and when time was pressing more desperately, I had to pick up the phone and call for personal favour from a guy, who promised that I could just call him anytime for anything, in return for a little help I've offered earlier. Not my proudest moment in history, but I'd rather think of my stranded staffs with depleting food-stock.
Stocks had to be transported in from Sandakan, so we dispatched one vehicle to bring in the goods, and another the next morning. Two vehicles went out to the affected areas up north of Beluran and by afternoon, they managed to send relief to Paitan. When they attempted Sg.Sungai, they had to reassess the situation as the flood area covered about 400m wide and up to 10 feet deep. The vehicle definitely could not go in, and since there was no hand phone connectivity there, our staffs from Sg.Sungai were not aware that help was there. But somehow they managed to contact them and brought the food in, using a small powered boat. While there, the relief team had time to join in a gotong royong to clean up the clinic.
Flood Operation Room was adjourned by the District Officer on Sunday. I would have to go up to Paitan and Sg.Sungai soon on a follow up to assess damage and put up proposal for repairs as soon as possible, hopefully this coming Thursday... and I'm bringing my camera along.
On Wednesday night, a distress call was received from Tangkarason, an area that can be reached in 3 1/2 hours land route, noting to us about a mother that has come in to the clinic with incomplete miscarriage and possibly bleeding. They shouldn't have problem sending the lady out but the road was flooded and not before we could do proper assessment of the situation, their satellite phone, the only form of communication to the area was disrupted (no hand phone connectivity here). I almost sent a 300HP boat out to the area, a journey that would take 5 hours in good visibility and fair weather condition through the open sea. On reconsidering the options, I aborted the plan as it would be too risky to send a team out into the rough sea at night. Further more, the journey would take well more than 6-7 hours in the dark. The flood might have subsided by the time they reach and it would be safer then to send the patient out by road, provided she gets through the night. With communications disconnected throughout the night (my nursing sister tried calling them until past midnight) I had to put my faith on the senior staffs there to do the right thing - which they did, as the flood subsided they mobilised the ambulance and sent the lady to the nearest hospital - which is in a neighbouring district.
Flood might have subsided slightly, but it continued to rain. More areas were declared flooded by the next day. I had to caution the clinics and hospital for any unusual rise in diarrhoeal cases while be on alert also for dengue cases.
On Friday, it continued to rain until one of my nurses had to be evacuated, reportedly her house was submerged under water (probably reaching roof la). By afternoon, I've received 2 other distress call from 2 separate areas affected by the flood about food shortage - in Sg.Sungai and Paitan. Since I was already in KK at that time attending tender meeting for the collapsing Maternal and Child Health Clinic, I had to orchestrate the whole drama back in Beluran via phone calls and smses. Subsidised reload-cards were dished out to officers involved in flood management and some staffs were summoned to work over-time. 2 communities were stranded for at least 4 days and we had to organise food relief for them.
Unfortunately by late evening we still could not find a supplier willing to supply such large amount of grocer at such short notice, and when time was pressing more desperately, I had to pick up the phone and call for personal favour from a guy, who promised that I could just call him anytime for anything, in return for a little help I've offered earlier. Not my proudest moment in history, but I'd rather think of my stranded staffs with depleting food-stock.
Stocks had to be transported in from Sandakan, so we dispatched one vehicle to bring in the goods, and another the next morning. Two vehicles went out to the affected areas up north of Beluran and by afternoon, they managed to send relief to Paitan. When they attempted Sg.Sungai, they had to reassess the situation as the flood area covered about 400m wide and up to 10 feet deep. The vehicle definitely could not go in, and since there was no hand phone connectivity there, our staffs from Sg.Sungai were not aware that help was there. But somehow they managed to contact them and brought the food in, using a small powered boat. While there, the relief team had time to join in a gotong royong to clean up the clinic.
Flood Operation Room was adjourned by the District Officer on Sunday. I would have to go up to Paitan and Sg.Sungai soon on a follow up to assess damage and put up proposal for repairs as soon as possible, hopefully this coming Thursday... and I'm bringing my camera along.
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