Just one month after inaugurating our first Aid Station in Shamlapur, Bangladesh, MOAS is proud to announce the opening of the second, based in Unchiprang.
These results mark the first time the organisation is focusing its humanitarian efforts on land.
The centre will provide much-needed medical care to Rohingya refugees in the makeshift camps next to the Teknaf wildlife reserve, as well as to the Bangladeshi host community, particularly to pregnant women, new mothers and children.
Due to its remote and wild location, IOM recently reported that Unchiprang is extremely vulnerable and needs medical support immediately. Until now, only a few medical organizations have been able to access the area due to rough and impassable terrain, where multiple deaths have occurred when wild elephants trampled refugees cutting down bamboo to make shelters.
In response to the poor conditions in the makeshift camps, this second MOAS Aid Station is equipped with advanced medical tents, and autonomous energy and independent water systems. MOAS has assembled a team of medics, pharmacists, cultural mediators and logistics personnel, who will address the emergency by delivering both primary and secondary medical services.
Following our existing Aid Station model, the centre at Unchiprang offers comprehensive and specialized services. Patients are triaged on arrival, and are seen by a doctor to assess their complaints. Should patients require no further services, they may be referred to MOAS’ free pharmacy for treatments and medication.
If a patient requires additional care, they may access either MOAS’ recovery suite, the maternity room where they are seen by a midwife and an OBGYN, or a surgical area where a surgeon can perform minor surgeries and trauma treatments. Should a patient’s condition be deemed urgent, or deteriorate while on site, a MOAS ambulance is on hand to transfer to the local hospital. The centre also has a focus on combating the high rate of malnutrition among children, providing preventative nutrition assistance to the many people at risk.
The centre is fitted with state of the art diagnostic equipment which has been donated by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
According to our Medical Director Giada Bellanca, each Aid Station can treat up to 300 patients per day, providing quality medical care in areas that lack basic facilities.
“MOAS has managed to innovate and move past multiple obstacles to bring medical care to Unchiprang. It is the most advanced medical facility in the area. MOAS’s highly responsive operational model, combined with the international and local expertise of our team, means that we are well-placed to deliver highly effective care, continuing MOAS’ history of providing specialised humanitarian interventions wherever they are needed the most”, says Christopher Catrambone, founder of MOAS.
Regina Catrambone, Co-founder and Director of MOAS, explains, “MOAS believes in action and thanks to our dedicated team in Bangladesh, we have managed to establish our second Aid Station in less than two months in the country. We will not sit back idle while the world remains indifferent to the suffering of the Rohingya”.
While MOAS continues to focus its energies on delivering urgent medical assistance and aid, we urge the international community to act in support of Rohingya refugees and in solidarity with Bangladesh in mitigating this humanitarian crisis. Countless lives hang in the balance, and all stakeholders must mobilise urgently to prevent the widespread outbreak of disease and combat endemic malnutrition.