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Merlin is delivering vital medical aid to people in
the rebel-held territory of Rutshuru, as part of an aid convoy that arrived this morning.There are suspected cases of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera, so
Merlin will be distributing chlorine. The team, including a doctor, nurse and logistician, also has materials to build a cholera isolation unit.Sean Rafter,
Merlin’s logistician, was part of the convoy and visited three camps today. He said: “All three camps had been razed to the ground and all building materials had
completely disappeared.â€The team will be assessing how safe it is for staff to travel around and where the greatest needs are.“Health clinics have reopened in the town, but there is a real shortage of drugs and qualified staffâ€, says Alice Gilbert,
Merlin’s project officer in Goma.Merlin will be supplying drugs to clinics around Rutshuru, as well as ensuring qualified health workers are
on hand. We received a large supply of drugs before the violence broke out, which remained intact throughout the fighting. The supply includes anti-malarials, anti-biotics and other basic
drugs.Merlin has 45 national staff in Rutshuru. Many of them were caught up in the fighting and 10 staff members are currently unaccounted for. The rest are
safe and well, but tired. The convoy bought food and water for them, as they have not been able to leave their homes since fighting broke out last Tuesday.Providing medical care in and around GomaMerlin estimates that 1,800 displaced people have sought refuge in six different sites in
Goma, including churches and a mosque.21 cases of diarrhoea have been reported at Virunga Hospital in the centre of Goma. Merlin staff is investigating the
outbreak, assessing the health needs of the population and preparing a medical response. This is likely to include provision of essential drugs and equipment to several health centres and Virunga
Hospital in Goma to serve displaced people and their host families. Should it be necessary, Merlin, in partnership with another international NGOs, will build an isolation unit and train Ministry of
Health staff on treatment protocols.We are also coordinating with other NGOs to respond to the needs of displaced people on the Goma-Rutshuru road, including
the town of Kibati, 6km north of Goma, where 20,000 displaced people have sought refuge.Assessing needs in KanyabayongaA medical team is also traveling to Kanyabayonga (a town north of Rutshuru where large numbers of displaced people are reported) to assess the needs and distribute drugs to health
facilities in the area. Depending on the assessment findings, Merlin plans to start work here in the next few days, as very few NGOs are currently working there. Read more about our work in DR
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RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2008 The wreckage of the Hewa Bora Airways passenger jet burns at its crash site in Goma, capital of Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern North Kivu ...
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