Letters & Speeches
Remarks by Deputy Chief of Mission James R. Moore at the Inauguration of Emergency Medical Services for Jaffna District
February 11, 2009
Mr. Ganesh, Government Agent for Jaffna; Dr. Ketheeswaran, Regional Director of Health Services for Jaffna; other distinguished members of the head table; honored guests.
I am pleased to be here today, along with my Embassy colleague Michael Perkins, for this very special occasion: the launching of new emergency medical response programs in Jaffna by the U.S.-based NGO Medical Teams International.
The U.S. Embassy believes this project is tremendously important, and for that reason Ambassador Blake very much wanted to be here this morning. It is a privilege for me to represent him on this occasion.
This is my first visit to Jaffna, a place with a long and proud history, a place whose people have for many years faced formidable challenges with great courage.
The U.S. Embassy is a strong supporter of the work that Medical Teams International is doing here in Sri Lanka – in Colombo, in Jaffna, and in other parts of the country. Their efforts are a wonderful embodiment of volunteerism, and of private sector support and the commitment of the American people in reaching out to others to make our world a better and safer place.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Medical Teams International operates in 33 countries, and works in the fields of disaster response, emergency medical services, community health, and HIV/AIDS. Here in Sri Lanka, under Donnie Woodyard’s outstanding leadership, Medical Teams International is working to help implement a national emergency medical services program.
The Jaffna program has several local partners: the Ministry of Health, the Regional Directorate of Health Services, Jaffna Teaching Hospital, the World Health Organization, and local private sector partners, including Expo Airlines and Ceylon Oxygen.
Whereas countrywide, Medical Teams International’s work has been largely funded by private voluntary support, here in Jaffna, the program is supported in part by a grant from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and administered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR.
The Jaffna project will help to establish a simple but comprehensive emergency medical system, starting with community education on basic first aid and disaster preparedness, and continuing with building hospital capacity in emergency and trauma services.
Under the project, training will be provided to 150 ambulance officers as emergency medical technicians, 50 doctors in primary trauma care, 600 nurses and hospital staff in basic trauma and medical emergency management, and 12,500 community members in basic first aid.
In addition to training, 33 ambulances will be upgraded, including one boat ambulance that will serve Kayts Island. Hospitals will receive donations of essential emergency equipment, and a telephone hotline has been created to assure access to a 24-hour medical response communication center.
In closing, let me just say that the U.S. Embassy is proud that American volunteers – private U.S. citizens – play a role in the work of Medical Teams International. For example, Dr. Ross Bryan, an emergency physician from Portland, Oregon, is in Jaffna now to teach courses for doctors during his vacation. He did the same thing last year in Colombo, where I also had an opportunity to meet him. It is great to have you back again Ross.
Once again, the U.S. Embassy congratulates Medical Teams International and its many local partners for their important work to improve emergency medical services in Sri Lanka and particularly here in Jaffna.
Thank you very much.