MOW HAPPY CHILD - Health checks for Myanmar refugees

According to the UNHCR Malaysia website, as of end April 2013, there are some 94,760 Myanmar refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, of which, some 20,000 are children below the age of 18. These babies and children are the unfortunate victims of war ... responsible for none of the cause, but bearing the worst of the pain. Although they have access to public and private healthcare facilities, cost and language are the main obstacles to them getting the necessary health care.

Together with the Lions Club of Serdang and Full Gospel Assembly Church (FGA), Meals on Wheels Ti-Ratana organized a mobile medical clinic in Rawang on Sunday 9th June 2013. A total of 145 refugees, mostly Myanmarese and a small number of Nepalese and locals from Rawang, came to FGA church for free medical tests comprising BMI, BP, glucose, hearing, vision, dental, examination by doctors, deworming (for children only) and pap smear (for women only). Medicine was also dispensed as prescribed.

I was truly amazed with the Lions Club operations of the mobile clinic. Their volunteers' experiences, expertise, and passion in conducting such clinics was obvious in the smooth and professional way they handled the patients. They even have an electronic queue system, with separate sets of numbers for children, adult female and adult male!

After breakfast of nasi lemak, mihoon, buns and coffee/tea/milo, the 30+ volunteers from Lions Club opened the "clinic" at 9am. MOW volunteers supported by ushering the patients to the appropriate counters and rooms. The plan was to close the clinic by 1pm but due to the overwhelming response from the refugees, the clinic remained opened until almost 3pm.

Both volunteers and patients had a simple chicken rice meal for lunch. Children were also treated to goodie bags of biscuits, chips and candy.

In the usual MOW tradition, we presented Rawang Learning Centre, a refugee orphanage run by the Pastor of FGA church, with loads of groceries for the 20+ children living there.

It was a super hot and humid day but all the volunteers worked tirelessly to complete the task on hand, taking breaks in between.

Three NGOs working together to provide basic health care and medicine to the refugees shows them that we do care for their well-being, no matter how small a number we were able to reach. More partnerships between NGOs, private sector, civil society groups and concerned individuals are needed to broaden the reach to more of these stateless people to reduce mortality and morbidity rates.

We would like to express our HEARTFELT APPRECIATION to the following donors who contributed both cash and kind to this event.


Nam Bee Rubber Industries
Low Kar Keong
Poon Chee Huang
Loong Hian Lok
Low Siew Leng
Jaime Koy
Liew Kiew Ping
Lee Bee Hong
Lim Ai Lan
Yoong Tang Yuan
Chia Peng Hwee
Pn Sri Lay Hwa
Wendy
House of Love
Mr & Mrs Yeap
Lew Siew Bee
Siow
Lisa Khoo
Anonymous donor

And of course a BIG THANK YOU to the volunteers from Lions Club of Serdang and Full Gospel Assembly Church, whose participation made this a successful event.

Last but not least to our ever-supportive, dedicated and hard-working MOW volunteers, SADHUx3!

Posted by: Kim
Pictures courtesy of Bro Tee & Kim