Cyclone Pam | ProMedical Vanuatu
Donation protected
Due to the huge reposnse and support for what ProMedical & ProMedical Rescue does we are raiseing our goal to $100,000.
This is the offical GoFundMe campagin of ProMedical Vanuatu & Promedical Rescue
On the night of Friday the 13th of March The Capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila and its remote islands were ravaged by a Cyclone of epic proportions. Sustained wind speeds of 305km/h had devastating effect of homes, businesses and infrastructure.
In amongst all of this is our only advanced life-support and intensive care Paramedic service and with a small attached volunteer rescue service Promedical & Promedical Rescue.
Been a local Vanuatu non governmental organization we have had personnel on the ground from hour ZERO, responding to medical emergencies, calls for rescue and assisting in getting the international airport open for foreign aid to come in.
Now in day four we are running low on everything from medical supplies, equipment and funds.
Background
Vanuatu is an independent island nation in the South West Pacific. Until 1980 it was known as the New Hebrides and governed by a British-French condominium. Vanuatu has some 83 islands and a population of around 250,000 spread over about 65 of the islands. Vanuatu is situated on the Pacific “ring of fire” and as such has active and inactive volcanoes, and is prone to earthquakes and cyclones. The capital is Port Vila on the island of Efaté with a population of around 40,000. Vanuatu is a developing nation that relies heavily on overseas aid and tourism.
The government health system has a logical structure but is enormously under-resourced. Village Aid Posts, staffed by a village health worker (an advanced first aider), which feeds into Dispensaries, staffed by a nurse, then on to Health Centres’, staffed by a nurse practitioner. Of Vanuatu’s five hospitals there are three rural hospitals staffed by a single medical officer and referral hospitals at Luganville and Port Vila. Vila Central Hospital (VCH) is the “true” tertiary hospital as it has the greatest concentration of medical officers including all of the overseas specialists. VCH has 136 beds divided between medical, surgical, paediatric and maternity wards.
Within the government health system there is no realistic pre-hospital care, and whilst VCH has received a donated ambulance vehicle it is equipped to provide only basic care and has no dedicated staffing. VCH has a single driver per shift whose duties are primarily general hospital tasks;transporting staff, supplies and administrative tasks. As required, the driver is recalled to drive the VCH ambulance accompanied by an available nurse. There are no Ni-Vanuatu trained paramedics or any staff with an ongoing role as ambulance crew.
Vanuatu Emergency Medical Services Association Committee
ProMedical (VEMSA) is a non-government organisation (NGO) incorporated locally as a charitable association. VEMSA operates the paramedical service “ProMedical” which provides 24-hour international standard intensive care paramedic ambulance services on the island of Efaté. Core values of the ambulance service include adhering to international standards for equipment and patient care, the professionalism of staff, responding to all calls for assistance on a 24-hour basis, and accessibility for all.
ProMedical provides additional services which include local and overseas aero medical evacuations (commercial flight and charter aircraft / air ambulance), pre hospital medical assistance, mortal remains repatriation and first aid training. ProMedical also operates Vanuatu’s only hyperbaric chamber on behalf of an US company called Hyperbaric Partners Limited.
In addition VEMSA runs a volunteer rescue service “ProMedcial Rescue” that provides a broad range of rescue skills from Road Crash Rescue to disaster response.
ProMedical sees as its mission to provide reliable and affordable emergency medical services to the Port Vila community. In doing so ProMedical augments the under-funded government health system, provides support to the investment and tourism sectors and also guarantees important emergency resources in the event of a natural disaster or major incident.
ProMedical is highly respected throughout the country,as well as internationally, and caters to local and expatriate residents as well as tourists. We currently receive no funding from the Vanuatu government or any aid agencies, so rely on funding via sponsorship from local businesses and through subscriptions from Ni-Vanuatu, expatriate residents and businesses within the local community. We now have around three Ni-Vanuatu subscribers for every foreign resident member. This means that we are one of the few charities that can genuinely claim to serve the whole community.
This is the offical GoFundMe campagin of ProMedical Vanuatu & Promedical Rescue
On the night of Friday the 13th of March The Capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila and its remote islands were ravaged by a Cyclone of epic proportions. Sustained wind speeds of 305km/h had devastating effect of homes, businesses and infrastructure.
In amongst all of this is our only advanced life-support and intensive care Paramedic service and with a small attached volunteer rescue service Promedical & Promedical Rescue.
Been a local Vanuatu non governmental organization we have had personnel on the ground from hour ZERO, responding to medical emergencies, calls for rescue and assisting in getting the international airport open for foreign aid to come in.
Now in day four we are running low on everything from medical supplies, equipment and funds.
Background
Vanuatu is an independent island nation in the South West Pacific. Until 1980 it was known as the New Hebrides and governed by a British-French condominium. Vanuatu has some 83 islands and a population of around 250,000 spread over about 65 of the islands. Vanuatu is situated on the Pacific “ring of fire” and as such has active and inactive volcanoes, and is prone to earthquakes and cyclones. The capital is Port Vila on the island of Efaté with a population of around 40,000. Vanuatu is a developing nation that relies heavily on overseas aid and tourism.
The government health system has a logical structure but is enormously under-resourced. Village Aid Posts, staffed by a village health worker (an advanced first aider), which feeds into Dispensaries, staffed by a nurse, then on to Health Centres’, staffed by a nurse practitioner. Of Vanuatu’s five hospitals there are three rural hospitals staffed by a single medical officer and referral hospitals at Luganville and Port Vila. Vila Central Hospital (VCH) is the “true” tertiary hospital as it has the greatest concentration of medical officers including all of the overseas specialists. VCH has 136 beds divided between medical, surgical, paediatric and maternity wards.
Within the government health system there is no realistic pre-hospital care, and whilst VCH has received a donated ambulance vehicle it is equipped to provide only basic care and has no dedicated staffing. VCH has a single driver per shift whose duties are primarily general hospital tasks;transporting staff, supplies and administrative tasks. As required, the driver is recalled to drive the VCH ambulance accompanied by an available nurse. There are no Ni-Vanuatu trained paramedics or any staff with an ongoing role as ambulance crew.
Vanuatu Emergency Medical Services Association Committee
ProMedical (VEMSA) is a non-government organisation (NGO) incorporated locally as a charitable association. VEMSA operates the paramedical service “ProMedical” which provides 24-hour international standard intensive care paramedic ambulance services on the island of Efaté. Core values of the ambulance service include adhering to international standards for equipment and patient care, the professionalism of staff, responding to all calls for assistance on a 24-hour basis, and accessibility for all.
ProMedical provides additional services which include local and overseas aero medical evacuations (commercial flight and charter aircraft / air ambulance), pre hospital medical assistance, mortal remains repatriation and first aid training. ProMedical also operates Vanuatu’s only hyperbaric chamber on behalf of an US company called Hyperbaric Partners Limited.
In addition VEMSA runs a volunteer rescue service “ProMedcial Rescue” that provides a broad range of rescue skills from Road Crash Rescue to disaster response.
ProMedical sees as its mission to provide reliable and affordable emergency medical services to the Port Vila community. In doing so ProMedical augments the under-funded government health system, provides support to the investment and tourism sectors and also guarantees important emergency resources in the event of a natural disaster or major incident.
ProMedical is highly respected throughout the country,as well as internationally, and caters to local and expatriate residents as well as tourists. We currently receive no funding from the Vanuatu government or any aid agencies, so rely on funding via sponsorship from local businesses and through subscriptions from Ni-Vanuatu, expatriate residents and businesses within the local community. We now have around three Ni-Vanuatu subscribers for every foreign resident member. This means that we are one of the few charities that can genuinely claim to serve the whole community.
Organizer
Zeak Smith
Organizer
