Pakistan native doctor urging support for flood relief charities

Dr Ahmad Jamal, a senior emergency medicine physician at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan and his wife, Navan councillor, Suzanne Jamal are particularly concerned about the plight of 20 million flood victims, as Dr Jamal is a native of Pakistan. The couple carried out a major fund raising campaign five years ago after a massive earthquake devastated the country. The funds they raised built a school in the earthquake stricken region, but Dr Jamal says that the problems for his native country are even worse this time. "This is affecting more than 20 million people who have nothing. Their homes, crops, cattle are gone. This is mainly an agricultural country and agriculture has been destroyed and there EIS serious risk of famine in two to three months," he said. Dr Jamal is planning on holding a table quiz next month and his colleagues in Navan are also helping with fund raising. "At the time of the earthquake, we raised a lot of money, but people here are struggling now too, so they cannot give as much, but every little bit helps," he said. Dr Jamal urges people to donate what they can to organisations like Disaster Relief by Irish and Pakistanis (DRIP), a charity set up by the many Pakistani doctors living and working in this country, or to the Irish Red Cross and Concern who he says are doing wonderful work in Pakistan. He says that a container of medical supplies has already left Ireland for Pakistan and a container of medical equipment and other supplies will be sent out shortly. He urged anyone who may have small generators they don't need to donate them as they are badly needed in the flooded areas, where the normal power supply has been cut. Dr Jamal's family are from the Lahore area of Pakistan and luckily none of his family are affected by the disaster, but the plight of his fellow countrymen is obviously a major concern. He points out that a vast area is covered in eight to 10 feet of water and displaced people are crowded together, leading to disease such as typhoid and cholera. Many people were electrocuted during the floods and many other died from snake bites. "People swimming for their lives were bitten by snakes and people sleeping out in the open are in danger from them," he said. Dr Jamal says that food is currently been dropped by the army by helicopter into the stricken areas, using food stores from parts of the country unaffected by the flooding, but he warned that this would run out in a few months time. "It is like a slow tsunami. The effect isn't immediate, but it is on a huge scale. "At the time of the earthquake, the world economy was very good, but it is different now and people also don't realise how much worse the situation will get over the next few weeks," he said. The DRIP charity has set-up Relief Camps in flood affected areas near Nowshera Khyber-pakhtunkhwa and medical help, medicines, food, water, and other supplies are now distributed in large numbers. Dr Jamal points out that all money donated to DRIP goes directly to the flood victims. He said none of the money goes on administration, which is all paid for by the volunteers themselves. People can contribute directly to DRIP on their website www.drip.org and their international banking details are IBAN NO: IE06 AIBK 9353 7909 6330 25 BIC: AIBKIE2D. Anyone wishing to contribute could also contact Dr Jamal on 087 2932218 or at dr.ahmadjamal@hotmail.com. He is also urging people to donate to the Irish relief charities.