MedGlobal is an organization of medical professionals which provide help and support in different emergency situations in the world, including in Bangladesh, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, Ukraine, Colombia, Syria and Gaza. The aim of such organisation is to decrease healthcare disparities coming from wars or natural disasters Raise The Voices collected the testimony of Dr John, founder and project leader.
History and projects of MedGlobal organization
MedGlobal started in 2017 during the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, where 750,000 people in six months were established in camps. MedGlobal is currently embedded in camps and supports a hospital and run a clinic for patients. Their primary mission there is to overcome the health disparities. <<We usually come in into a project during what would be called the emergency response>> says Dr. John. However in some cases they continue well after the emergency, to build help build resiliency and capacity and to operate a lot of educational work and training.
In Bangladesh they support an active clinic primary healthcare clinic and midwifery program because it’s located in a large camp but it’s centralized in that camp <<we’re able to have a large presence and static presence there>>. But different story in Yemen, for example, where their intervetion is not concentrated in a specific location. <<We support both mobile health clinics as well as rural hospital patients>>
What about Lebanon? <<There, we support clinics in the Picard valley that serve primarily Syrian refugees because even though Lebanon has a well established health system it’s completely under stressed because of both their financial situation as well as the situation with the refugees. There is no urgent crisis meaning this is not the exodus that was seen when when people were leaving Syria and going directly to Lebanon, but it is still a refugee crisis and so we support two clinics in the valley>>
MedGlobal in Idlib, Syria 2023
On October, 5th the Syrian regime began indiscriminately bombing Idlib province. MedGlobal actvated immediately.
<<We’ve had a presence in northwest Syria for at least three years, where we supply where we support hospitals and do educational work. After the earthquake we sent three teams.>>
MedGlobal works in Syria with a Primary Health system, three Primary Health centers and two mobile clinics, meaning mobile vans with doctors and medication every week to the to the refugee tent cities. <<We work closely with the the Ministry of Health, the health director and other NGOs on the ground.>>
<<We brought stuff hand surgeon and that was going to do a series of surgical procedures related to war related traumas he was supposed to going to do surgery as well as he brought some specialized equipment in and we were going to help the training of some of the surgeons. We’re bringing orthopedic surgeon in and we brought in a specialist in nutrition that was going to work with us and helping develop our nutrition program for children, signed with the World Food program.>>
<<We’re staying in inland city and then there was the drone attack on military complex and homes and with that the 100 people killed. And right after that we knew that the Assad regime would take that opportunity to attack the only area of the country that was not completely under Assads control northwest. So we figured this would be coming and it came immediately so there was bombing outside of it. >>
Morocco and Lybia, Earthquake and flood
MedGlobal was ready to help in Morocco right after the earthquake, however it was determined that there was not a need for NGOs of their type. <<There are NGOs on the ground and so we’re supporting them with supplies of medications and things like that.>> Same way in Libya: <<We sent the team immediately to Libya who brought a significant number of relief supplies and things like that into Libya but we’re not going to set a team up in Libya; we will support the NGOs that are on the ground.>>
MedGlobal in Gaza
<<In Gaza we are in the process of embedding ourselves right now. I’m happy to say that of the initial relief group that got through the Rafah crossing, some of that was our meds and staff.>> MedGlobal was able to supply staff and supplies through Rafa, inlcuding food, fuel and medications. <<We’ve done a good job in supplying hospitals and refugees, both in the north and Gaza City and in the South.>> Their positive and impactful presence in Sudan, at the border with Egypt, helped them to get through the Gaza-Egypt border.
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