Libya: agent on a large-scale mission - almeda organises transport and treatment of Libyan injured
Munich, December 2011. As part of the health plan of the National Transitional Council for those injured in the Libyan revolution, the Temporary Financing Mechanism (TFM) - the acting Ministry of Finance of the transitional government - has contracted almeda to organise the transport of injured fighters and coordinate their medical care in Germany and Austria. The aid concept was developed by almeda in collaboration with Munich Health.
The evacuation operation organised by almeda and its cooperation partners has now been established since October. By the end of November, over 450 patients were prepared for transport by the almeda medical teams. The wounded have now been flown out and accommodated in hospitals where they can receive optimum medical treatment. Particular attention is being paid to social support as well as the patients' personal and cultural background. Care is taken to ensure suitable meals for Muslims, pocket money, translators and support for relatives in cases of particular need, for example.
"Fortunately, almeda's longstanding experience in the field of medical repatriation and medical case management enabled us to respond swiftly to the National Transitional Council's request," says Dr. Stefan Kottmair, Managing Director of almeda. "This means we are able to make our contribution to organising treatment for the injured in suitable hospitals as quickly as possible."
Kathrin Staerk, a member of a so-called scouting team operating in Libya, summarises her intense impressions of the last few weeks as follows: "Working in the field, we have been very impressed by the TFM staff, especially in terms of their efficiency and compassion. For example, family members of patients were accommodated near the hospitals wherever possible. And we also try to address patients' particular needs whenever we can: we located two brothers who both sustained severe burns in different places and reunited them in Germany to enable them to heal here together.
I sense enormous gratitude on the part of the patients. I particularly remember the mother of a young boy with a comminuted fracture - once the repatriation of her child had been finalised, she hugged me and there was an instinctive understanding between us without the need for words."
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