Relief Effort in Swat

CDRS IDP EMERGENCY RESPONSE & COLLABORATION
CDRS will be responding to the Swat refugee Crisis with medical teams and
medicines. I will be delaying my trip back to the States until May 29 in order
to coordinate our response. CDRS presentations in New Jersey and Washington, DC
will be re-scheduled for sometime around mid-June. My teams will deploy on
Sunday. CDRS will be coordinating its efforts with the government health
ministry, Dr. Noaman Siddiqui of Disaster Management Center of Abbottabad (We
worked together extensively during the earthquake emergency, CDRS will be
working with his colleagues at UM Healthcare Trust Hospital near Mardan), ICRC &
Pakistan Red Crescent (at their Swabi IDP Camp) and Ayesha Khan of MGPO
(Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization). MGPO is a fine organization that
CDRS partners with to provide health services and school health programs in
facilities they operate in Chakothi at the Line of Control. I will be very
grateful for your assistance in this critically important mission.

KARACHI CDRS FUNDRAISER ON WEDNESDAY MAY 20 AT KARACHI MARRIOTT (4-7 pm)
I will be abbreviating my trip to Karachi, leaving on Monday May 18 and
returning to Islamabad on May 21. The Marriott Karachi is hosting a fundraiser
for CDRS from 4-7 pm on Wednesday, May 20. I will be performing a musical set
with friends Aqueel and Asif Premjee and Arieb Azhar and presenting the CDRS
video. If you know anyone in Karachi who would be interested in assisting the
missions of CDRS, please invite them to this function. On May 22 I will be going
up to the IDP camps to work with CDRS staff and partners until May 28.

CDRS DENTAL PROGRAM
CDRS hosted 10 dentists from The Islamic International Dental College of Riphah
University last week. During their successful stay working in Chikar and
Chakothi, 449 patients were provided with expert dental care in three dental
units, 652 students received dental health screening at 5 schools, and more than
2,000 students received basic dental hygiene instruction. The trip went so well,
and the dentists enjoyed their deployment so much, they all want to come back
and work with CDRS again as soon as possible.

CDRS SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM
CDRS has partnered with DIL (Developments In Literacy) to provide individual
health screenings and basic health/hygiene classes for DIL students and basic
first aid training/community health information system to teachers, parents and
community members. The CDRS School Health Team has been working in the
earthquake affected areas of AJK and will now be branching out to DIL's 20
schools in the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area. With CDRS support, Islamic
International Medical and Dental College and Railway Hospital will provide DIL's
students with medical/dental camps and access to specialists. Further expansion
of the CDRS School Health Program to DIL schools in Karachi and Mansehra is
planned to begin after August.

CDRS COMMUNITY BASED SELF SUSTAINABILITY HEALTHCARE PROJECT
CDRS is now signing up 40 to 50 people per day in Chikar and Sulmia union
councils. Due to limitations in available CDRS staff, CDRS has deputized 30 Lady
Health Workers from the AJK Health Department to help with educating and signing
up the thousands of potential subscribers to this community healthcare insurance
plan. With this great boost in human resource capability, CDRS hopes that the
number of daily sign ups will increase to 250 per day.

CDRS MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
CDRS hosted NYU Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Samoon Ahmad at Chikar for a mental
health camp. 38 patients were seen and a system of support groups have been
created for students suffering from symptoms of PTSD.

CDRS ANIMAL WELFARE PROGRAM
CDRS has begun saving puppies and kittens and will be spaying/neutering strays
so we don't have as many new births of more strays. CDRS will then attempt to
partner the animals with kids and adults who've lost loved ones as a therapeutic
experiment, while also teaching them and the community that animals will be as
good or bad as they're treated by humans, both individual and societal. The
people who want a pet will be given the choice of a puppy, a kitten or a
parakeet, along with food and supplies and training in how to take care of them.
Then we will monitor all parameters of progress.

RECONFIGURATION OF CDRS STAFF AND FACILITIES
At the request of the AJK Health Department and in response to evolving
community needs, CDRS has closed its private facilities in Katkair and Riyat and
ended its support of The Rahim Kot Basic Health Unit (These facilities have been
supported by The CDRS Team ever since the emergency phase and a new hospital has
opened nearby in the village of Rangla at the border with District Bagh). CDRS
has begun sustained operational and human resources support to Gundi Garan Basic
Health Unit, Ghel Jabra Basic Health Unit and Sulmia Basic Health Unit. CDRS has
also opened new health facilities in the remote villages of Mushtimba (between
the villages of Riyat and Rahim Kot) and Numhoter. CDRS continues to provide
human resources, medicines, supplies and logistical support to Chikar Rural
Health Center, Chamm Basic Health Unit, Malsi Paeen First Aid Post, Soon Topa
Basic Health Unit, Muzaffarabad Urban Health Center, Hattian Bala Tehsil HQ
Hospital and Chakothi Rural Health Center.

JUNAID JAMIL'S SUCCESS STORY CONTINUES...
Just over six months ago in, in November 2008, we found little 8 year old Junaid
Jamil bedridden and in a very sad condition. After becoming injured in the
earthquake and then contracting bacterial meningitis, Junaid's family believed
he was paralyzed and would never walk again. When Juniad's Father came to CDRS
asking for help, CDRS responded. With regular physical therapy, leg braces and
home schooling, Junaid has improved miraculously and has now begun to walk with
support. In a triumph of his home schooling program, Junaid has now begun
attending regular classes at Islamiya Public School in Chikar. CDRS is taking
care of all the costs of tuition, books, uniforms and transportation for Junaid
and his brother, sister and cousin.

(Photo Gallery of recent CDRS operations:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdrs_spring_2009/)

CDRS VIDEO.
New CDRS Video - A Report To The CDRS Family Of Supporters (15:33) Full Version
(Contains extra footage, extended interviews, more on CDRS history, current
operations and future goals)
Caution: This version contains a few scenes of grave injury from the emergency
relief and rescue phase of The October 2005 South Asia Earthquake in order
provide viewers with a brief but stark visual to show the level of devastation
that responders rushed to in order to give aid and comfort to those most harmed.
http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/cdrs-comprehensive-disaster-relief-servic es-pakistan/14724653


New CDRS Video - A Report To The CDRS Family Of Supporters (6:20) Abbreviated
Version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V7HSOA_lFQ
(Same script edited for time-sensitive presentations at fundraisers and speaking
events)
Note: Scenes of graphic injury and devastation have been left out

Thanks for Your Generous Support of The CDRS Mission! We couldn't do Great
Things without You!:
Best Regards,
Todd Shea
Executive Director
Comprehensive Disaster Response Services
011-92-300-5029705