*2009 Humanitarian Crisis in Sri Lanka From January to May 2009 violence raged in Northeast Sri Lanka, taking a heavy toll on the civilian population and displacing hundreds of thousands. The suffering of those displaced by the fighting was massive. As of August 2009, with an estimated 280,000 IDPs still in camps, IMHO had sent over $500,000 through our local partners on the ground for various efforts across the affected areas in response to this humanitarian crisis. These efforts involved giving milk powder, nutritional support, medications, mobile clinics, surgical materials & hygiene kits, psychiatric services, renovation of a maternity ward, support for displaced medical students, prosthetic limbs & physical rehabilitation, installing toilets, and drilling tube wells.
PARTNERS (since 2003):
AmeriCares Batticaloa Cancer Society Batticaloa Medical Association/ Hospital Batticaloa Mental Health Development Org. Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) Direct Relief International Eastern Self‐Reliant Community Awakening Organization Hindu Board of Education Jaffna General Hospital Development Association Jaffna Medical Association Lions Clubs Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) North Lanka Cancer Patient Welfare Association Operation USA Sivapoomi Sivan Arul Illam /Thooku Sri Lanka Red Cross Tellipalai Mental Health Society
Support our Work IMHO needs your support. Please consider joining our team or making a contribution today. We need to sustain our ongoing programs, such as the mobile medical clinics, nutrition program, and future primary care centers, as well as continuing to respond to other needs & crises as they arise. You may donate:
The International Medical Health Organization (IMHO)
By Mail: send a check payable to “IMHO” to IMHO Treasurer, PO Box 60265, Staten Island, NY, 10306, USA. Online: Use PayPal to make an online donation. Go to www.TheIMHO.org Direct Debit: set up a recurring donation, the amount and frequency of which are up to you
You may also support our work by planning a fundraiser, turning a party or event into a fundraiser, donating your time or professional services, spreading the word about IMHO, helping us to network with foundations/NGOs/ corporations, etc. The possibilities are endless!
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www.TheIMHO.org
Strengthening Communities. Improving Lives.
About The IMHO IMHO was founded in 2003 in the United States, by health care professionals who recognized a desperate need in bringing health care to impoverished communities in lesser‐developed regions. IMHO is a registered tax‐exempt, 501(c)(3)non‐profit, charitable organization in the United States and is a registered not‐for‐profit organization in Canada. IMHO believes that an emphasis on primary health care is essential to improving the physical, mental and social well being of individuals and communities. IMHO responds to medical needs in crises and works to develop health care infrastructure and health services in underserved areas worldwide.
“ Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”—WHO *Nutrition OUR MISSION The International Medical Health Organization (IMHO) is an international humanitarian organization that focuses on developing and improving healthcare in underserved regions worldwide. We strive to improve the well being of humanity through access to basic healthcare for all.
OUR EFFORTS: *Primary Care & Mobile Medical Clinics IMHO has established 3 primary care centers in Sri Lanka that run 24/7 and each treat about 350 patients/week. Treatment is focused on prevention, public health education, primary health care, labor and delivery, and minor surgical procedures. These centers provide free medical service, including free medications. IMHO has also conducted a wide range of mobile clinics (including eye & dental clinics) in more rural areas across Sri Lanka. The mobile clinics provide general medical consultation along with free medications such as antibiotics, vitamins, etc.
One of the most basic and critically important needs of those in marginalized areas is that of proper nutrition. As such, IMHO is committed to supporting the basic nutritional needs of those that are malnourished, especially women, children, and the elderly. IMHO supports pregnant women by supplying free prenatal vitamins and nutritional support. It costs just $100 to support a pregnant woman's vitamins & nutrition supplements for the duration of her pregnancy and ensure that she gives birth to a healthy baby! Similar efforts have been supported in feeding children in special needs schools and orphanages, elders homes, and more. IMHO has also sent shipments of nutrition relief to IDPs and those affected by the 2004 tsunami, years of civil conflict, and other hardships. *Emergency Relief IMHO responds in times of crisis following natural and manmade disasters, having supported relief efforts throughout Sri Lanka, Burma, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the United States. Partnering with local implementing partners in each country, IMHO helps to get survivors access to medicines, nutrition, health care, and other basic necessities.
*Hospital & Clinic Development Developing hospitals and clinics in underserved areas where facilities and qualified personnel are lacking has been a cornerstone of the IMHO. With the overarching goal of improving and developing the health care infrastructure in these areas, IMHO has supported a myriad of efforts in helping to improve facilities & resources, train and empower local doctors, staff, & students, and provide other forms of support as needed. One of IMHO’s strengths is that it can effectively respond to the immediate needs and requests of those on the ground who know the situation intimately. These efforts have cut across many fields, including anesthesia, cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, pathology, pediatrics, nephrology, surgery, telemedicine, and much more.
*Mental Health
In communities that are often shaped by the struggle to survive and have basic needs met, mental health care is frequently overlooked. IMHO recognizes the need to invest in long‐ term mental health care services for those in need, having established mental health units and clinics, a long‐term care facility for women with special needs in Sri Lanka, providing general support and training for mental health workers and patients, and supplying other medicines and equipment as needed.