CDRS
History
Though
CDRS is a new organization, our team on
the ground in Kashmir has been working together
to provide a field medical center and healthcare
services to the earthquake victims in District Muzzafarabad
since October 16, 2005, and in the Chikar area since
November 10, 2005. I was Director of Field Operations
for Operation Heartbeat from October 10, 2005 until
March 1, 2006. I decided to create CDRS to continue
what had been built by my field operations team
and all the fine individuals and organizations who
supported Operation Heartbeat during the acute and
sub- acute phases of the disaster response. I sought
the educated opinions of all of the high level relief
effort officials that I’ve worked alongside
for months, and they agreed unanimously with me
that the areas where CDRS is currently operating
are going to continue to be in dire need of primary
care and emergency medical services well into the
foreseeable future.
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Click
for tribute to Marc O'Regan |
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TO ENTER SOS PAGE
CDRS
Medical facility in Chikar with tents and equipment
donated by SOS Children's Villages of Pakistan
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While
working to help the earthquake affected people of Kashmir,
the current staff and leadership of CDRS has worked
directly and successfully with nearly every professional
organization and major participant working with the
earthquake relief effort in District Muzzafarabad over
the last 6 months, including The Pakistan Army, Oxfam,
Islamic Relief, The Turkish Red Crescent Society, The
Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Abbas Hospital, PIMS
Hospital, The U.S. Army M*A*S*H, The U.S. Army helicopter
forces, The German Army helicopter forces, The Canadian
Army DART Team, UNICEF, The World Health Organization,
The Canadian Relief Foundation, Concern For Children,
SOS Children’s Villages of Pakistan, The Alpine
Club, Aid In Emergency, The Cuban Government contingent
of physicians, The office of The Federal Health Minister
of Pakistan, The Office of the AJK Secretary Of Health
and The Federal Relief Commission of Pakistan. In addition,
the current CDRS team, while working for Operation Heartbeat,
successfully deployed and extracted over 450 doctors,
healthcare professionals and volunteers from October
16, 2005 to March 1, 2006 without a single injury, serious
incident or missed travel itinerary. I believe our experience
and successes in cooperation, coordination and operations
have given CDRS a very strong base from which to begin
serving humanity. |
I
would like to personally thank the Pakistan Army
units involved with the earthquake relief efforts,
with special recognition to Brigadier Shaheryar Khan
and the men of the 10th Brigade and Brigadier Syed
Amjad Shabbir and the men of the 212th Brigade for
their brilliant effectiveness in the field and for
the inspiring dedication to duty they displayed every
single day and night of their deployment in the disaster
zone. From Federal Relief Commissioner Major General
Farooq all the way to the youngest enlistee, I have
never seen such an organized, professional and immense
effort in the face of such impossibly tragic circumstances,
treacherous terrain and logistical nightmares that
were presented to the nation of Pakistan without warning.
The Pakistan Army rose to every challenge asked of
them. They opened
roads in three weeks that experts said
couldn't be opened for 6 months. As soon as was humanly
possible, they brought order from chaos and calmed
a desperate and dazed populace with insightful leadership,
great courage and fulfilled promises, delivering food,
tents and other critical aid by helicopter, truck,
mule or even on foot to people in the most remote
and difficult to reach mountain villages. They
played the lead role in re-establishing schools as
quickly as possible so children could heal and begin
to be children again. They saved and rehabilitated
countless lives and provided a solid foundation for
all involved in the relief effort to start from in
helping to carry out a most noble and historic task
to breathe life back into the sufferring communities
of the earthquake ravaged areas of Pakistan.
Comprehensive
Disaster Response Services is in Pakistan to do everything
it can to help The People of Kashmir continue to recover
from the tragedy of the October 8 earthquake.
CDRS
is honored to serve Pakistan and the people of Kashmir-
and we will never lose sight of why we are here and
who we are here to help.
Todd
Shea
Program Director
Comprehensive Disaster Response Services
April 14, 2006
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CDRS
Program Director Todd Shea meets in the field
with Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan, Federal
Relief Commissioner |
Mother
with injured
baby girl in Kashmir |
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