The mega flood that started in June 2017 and in Bangladesh alone, the disaster killed 145 people, 8 million people affected across 32 districts, destroyed 103,855 houses and damaged 4,636 education infrastructures.
Malaysia University to provide post-disaster care to Bangladeshis
Cyberjaya, 14th February 2018 – Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS), a 5-Star higher education institution launched its’ international humanitarian mission, Bangladesh Relief and Care Expedition (BRACE) 2018 today. The objective of this programme is to extend a helping hand to the people in Dhaka, who had been severely affected and displaced across the region during the flood tragedy in 2017.
According to World Bank’s Poverty and Equity 2017 Report, Bangladesh is densely populated with 150 million people and 24.3 percent of them live below the national poverty line. However, the country managed to drop the extreme poverty rate to 12.9 percent in 2016.
More than 1,200 people have died across India, Bangladesh and Nepal as a result of a massive flood, with 40 million affected by the devastation of the megaflood that started in June 2017. In Bangladesh alone, the disaster killed 145 people, 8 million people affected across 32 districts, destroyed 103,855 houses and damaged 4,636 education infrastructures.
The mission will be organized by the Twenties for Smileys (TFS), a humanitarian project under the Student Council of the University that will take place from 14 to 20 July 2018. The team is set to reach out to the international community and open the opportunity for students to learn while helping the local community in Bangladesh.
Associate Professor Mohamad Saidy Ismail, Advisor for BRACE 2018 said, “Cyberjaya University College is always in support of such initiative and as global citizens, we must cross barriers and help people who need our support.”
“The flood in 2017 had severely affected the people in Bangladesh and many went to shelters right after the flood. But our approach is slightly different for this mission, we are focusing on post-traumatic treatment and family healthcare. It will help them gain back their confidence to continue their lives.”
CUCMS believes in a holistic development of our students and equips them with relevant knowledge to conduct this mission. Students get to experience real-life issues when they engage with the community and this is a golden opportunity for them to learn about the different diseases faced by Bangladeshis.
Ameer Ikhwan bin Azminuddin, Project Director of BRACE 2018 said, “As a medical student, I have always wanted to participate in a humanitarian mission to help the people who are in need. BRACE 2018 will not only provide them with a short-term help but we have a long-term programme in the pipeline for the community to use in the long run.”
CUCMS’ students took the initiative to research the needs of the local community in Dhaka and went for a recce at the location in January 2018. Collecting the relevant information during the recce helped them to decide on the long-term project that will be done in collaboration with an NGO based in Dhaka. The main constraint faced by the local people was a lack of access to clean water and this has caused the spread of waterborne diseases.
There are several activities lined up for BRACE 2018 such as mobile clinics, medical check-up and health screening to those affected by the flood, education programmes, installations of tube well to provide clean water, allocation of 50 food kits, 50 hygiene kits, 80 flood protection kits and 200 stationery kits for the local community.
This year’s delegation consists of 43 students and staff from various majors include medical, pharmacy, physiotherapy and psychology who are working together to make BRACE 2018 a reality. BRACE 2018 is the 6th international mission organized by the students of CUCMS which began with the Cambodia mission in 2013, Vietnam in 2014, Pekan Baru, Indonesia in 2015, Vientiane, Laos 2016 and Kathmandu, Nepal last year. Those who wish to support and contribute can contact the university.
