Medical Team from Abu Dhabi Provides Support at Rohingya Refugee Camps

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Volunteers Treated Range of Medical Conditions in Bangladesh Support Area

Caregivers from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi have returned from working as volunteer clinical staff in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, in collaboration with charities and official relief organizations, which placed Emergency Medicine Institute and Infection Prevention & Control professionals in camps across the country. 

While there, the team treated as many as 100 to 200 patients a day, from babies to the elderly, for a range of conditions including respiratory issues, parasitic infections and skin conditions. 

It is estimated that one million people are currently in temporary shelters along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. 

“Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is proud to have caregivers who are prepared to offer their time and expertise to people in need, especially in the Year of Zayed, where we celebrate the compassion and generosity of the Founding Father of the UAE,” said Dr. Jacques Kobersy, Chair of the Emergency Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Christian Halloran, Chief of Operations for the Emergency Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, who was one of the volunteers, explained some of the challenges facing medical specialists at the camps. 

Many of the sick were too ill to make it to camp clinics on their own and had to be treated in the field. In one case, some refugees – who had fled disturbances in Myanmar – had been injured by wild elephants and needed urgent medical attention on-site. 

“The scale of the challenges – the number of refugees and the diversity of health problems we encountered – were daunting, but the experience reminded me of why I decided to practice medicine. Even though we had to improvise and did not have the resources and technology that we have in Abu Dhabi, we had an important impact on the lives of people in the camps,” said Dr. Halloran. 

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi volunteers who went to Bangladesh include five Emergency Medicine Institute Consultant physicians, an Emergency nurse, and a Director of Infection Prevention & Control. 

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is part of Mubadala’s network of world-class healthcare providers, which work together to address the emirate’s most pressing healthcare needs.