(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)
On Saturday night, 26 March, a shipment of aid from Israel was flown to Japan. The aid was organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and the Home Front Command.
A delegation of 50 people from the Home Front Command and the IDF Medical Corps will accompany 18 tons of aid that includes blankets, coats, gloves and portable toilets.
Israel is the one of the first states to send a medical team to Japan. Until now a few rescue teams from a limited number of countries have been operating in Japan, but no medical teams. The Home Front Command's medical delegation will be stationed in the city of Kurihara, in the Miyagi prefecture about six hours north of Tokyo, an area which was hit hard by the tsunami. The plan is to set up a field clinic to treat the wounded and refugees concentrated in that area. All of the arrangements for the medical team’s arrival and operation vis-à-vis the Japanese authorities are being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli embassy in Tokyo.
The aid shipment of essential items (10,000 coats, 6,000 blankets, 8,000 pairs of gloves and 150 portable toilets) was coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the request of the Japanese National Disaster Center, and sent in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense.
On Saturday night (March 26), the delegation took off from Israel following a short ceremony held at the IAF base in the presence of the Commander of the Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, Head of the Medical Corps, Brig. Gen. Nachman Ash, ambassador of Japan in Israel and the Japanese military attache in Israel.
Japan noted that Israel is one of the first countries to send aid as per the needs and request of the Japanese.
The Japanese ambassador in Israel, HE Haruhisa Takeuchi, expressed deep gratitude, on behalf of the government and people of Japan, for the Israeli aid and said that the Israeli government’s response to the Japanese government's requests for aid was very quick. "I thank you, the crew of medical personnel, from the bottom of my heart, for volunteering to help in the aftermath of this tragedy and for carrying out this difficult mission," said the Ambassador of Japan, Haruhisa Takeuchi, to the members of the delegation.
Israeli team opens field clinic
On March 28, the IDF aid delegation to Japan arrived at Minamisanriku in the Miyagi Prefecture, a city which is attracting many displaced persons.
The field clinic will feature:
X-ray
Pediatrics ward
Surgical ward
Maternity and Gynecological wards
Otolaryngology (Ears, Nose and Throat)
Optometry department
Laboratory
Intensive Care Unit
Pharmacy
Seven Japanese nationals who speak Hebrew joined the delegation today in order to provide translation services and serve as liaisons with the local population. A preliminary meeting was held today between the medical officers of the delegation and the representatives from local medical services.
Lt. Col. Dr. Amit Assa, a pediatrician, treating one of the local children(Photo: IDF Spokesperson) |
On Tuesday, March 29, the IDF Home Front Command and Medical Corps aid delegation to Japan opened an advanced medical clinic. The opening ceremony was preceded by a minute of silence in honor of those who perished in the natural disaster. The mayors of Kurihara and Minamisanriku, whose towns suffered severe loss and destruction in the tsunami, attended the ceremony. During the ceremony the mayors thanked the members of the delegation for volunteering, and for their desire to help the people of Japan by providing medical care for the ill and injured.
The clinic's first patient was the mayor of Minamisanriku, who was injured, examined by the commander of the medical delegation, Col. Dr. Ofir Cohen-Marom (Photo: IDF Spokesperson) |
The clinic's first patient was the mayor of Minamisanriku, who had recently been injured. He was examined by the commander of the medical delegation, deputy to the IDF Chief Medical Officer, Col. Dr. Ofir Cohen-Marom.
The first patients began arriving at the medical clinic and were treated by doctors and medical personnel. The delegation members hope to provide the citizens of the area full and comprehensive medical care in the upcoming days.
IDF doctors treat 11-month old girl for an eye infection at the clinic in Minami-Sanriko. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson) |
On Wednesday morning (March 30), an 11-month old baby girl, whose house was destroyed in the tsunami, was brought in by her grandmother to the IDF medical clinic in Minamisanriku, Japan. The girl was suffering from an eye infection. She was treated by pediatrician Lt. Col. Dr. Amit Assa and eye specialist Lt. Col. Orli Weinstein, with help from nurse Capt. Galit Bidner.
Numerous Japanese patients arrived at the clinic on Wednesday with a wide range of medical issues. The patients were treated by the professional Israeli medical team at the advanced clinic, with the help local Israelis serving as translators.
Japanese Deputy FM visits IDF medical clinic
Japanese Deputy FM Makiko Kikuta tours the IDF medical clinic (Photo: IDF Spokesperson) |
Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Makiko Kikuta toured the IDF medical clinic in the city of Minamisanriku on Monday (April 4). During the tour, conducted by Col. Dr. Ofir Cohen-Marom, the deputy Japanese FM was impressed by the medical services provided by the Israeli doctors as well as the advanced equipment brought from Israel.
Kikuta said that the good relationship between Israel and Japan will be strengthened due to the arrival of the medical delegation. "I will be happy to help you as much as is needed in order to aid the citizens of the disaster area," she said. "I was very impressed by the medical staff. Israelis have strong character and I was impressed by the orderly way that you operate."
During her visit, Kikuta was interested in learning about the patients who have come to the clinic and asked to hear about the medical issues they are facing as well as the care they are receiving. She expressed admiration for the pediatric department and heard about the care that children are receiving. She also saw the X-ray equipment and computer system developed by the Medical Corps, which was used for the first time by the IDF medical delegation in Haiti last year.
Kikuta praised the Israeli medical team for being the first to offer aid to the Japanese people and promised to tell other Japanese government officials about what she saw during the visit. "Your excellent work here is very much appreciated by us and the Japanese people," Kikuta said. "Your success and the cooperation that you have been able to establish with local medical officials will create an opening for additional delegations in the future."
Update: April 11, 2011
IDF aid delegation to Japan returns home
The IDF aid delegation to Japan has completed its mission will be returning to Israel. The members of the delegation are returning after providing medical care to the residents of Minamisanriku (in the Miyagi Prefecture) and its vicinity over the past two weeks. The delegation is set to land in Nevatim Israel Air Force Base tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
The majority of the medical equipment taken to Japan by the IDF, including x-ray machinery and lab equipment, will remain in Japan in order to benefit the physicians and local authorities providing care to the community of Minamisanriku and its vicinity.
The IDF Aid Delegation departed for the disaster-struck zone two weeks ago, and included a team of medical specialists from the Medical Corps, Home Front Command Search and Rescue experts, as well as logistics and communications personnel.
During their stay, IDF Medical Corps physicians treated 220 patients. The delegation was praised for the assistance provided, and was bid farewell by the Minamisanriku community in a ceremony held Sunday night (April 10).
IsraAID/FIRST expands its medical relief and children's program in Japan, as a third team departs Israel for the tsunami affected region April 9, 2011. On Sunday, April 10, 2011, IsraAID/FIRST will be sending its third emergency relief delegation Japan.
The team, headed by Dr. Raisch, will be focusing on medical relief and psycho-social support for displaced children and their families in the Miyagi Prefecture, one of the hardest hit areas. Working in close coordination with Japan's Ministry of Health, Dr. Raisch and her team will be delivering urgently needed medicines to the Fuji Toranomon Hospital. The team will work with local staff to distribute the medicines. The medical team will continue to assess the needs on the ground and determine where additional Israeli expertise could be used.
The latest delegation will also join IsraAID's current team on the ground in providing psycho-social relief to children and families living in temporary shelters in Sendai and Watari. Israaid is currently establishing Child Friendly Spaces, safe havens for children, run by local volunteer and equipped with interactive toys, arts and crafts materials and games.
IsraAID is also working with local leaders and teachers to prepare 'back to school activity kits' for children expected to return to school in the coming weeks. Just days after the March 10th earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, IsraAID was on the ground assessing the situation, building partnerships and providing urgently needed relief items to communities in the north.
IsraAID's emergency relief program in Japan is supported and funded by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Jewish Federation of the Metropolitan of Chicago, AJC, The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, JFNA, B'nai Brith International and others.