Seven volunteers from the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) will be traveling to Yemen November 7-16 for its first-ever medical mission in the country. Yemen, suffering from an unending conflict for several years now, has a severe humanitarian and health crisis in the country with a shortage of medical personnel, medicines, and supplies in its hospitals and clinics. Millions of children in Yemen are at risk of malnutrition.
This team is comprised of veteran medical relief volunteers with ample experience in the field. The more “novice” members have 6-8 missions under their belts, and the most experienced member has 26 medical missions completed in various countries throughout the world, treating people after natural disasters, in conflict zones, and in underdeveloped regions.
The volunteers will provide urgently-needed basic health care in a clinic just outside of the city of Aden, close to the main refugee camps in the area. The team anticipates it will treat 200-250 patients daily for a myriad of complaints, including hypertension, diabetes, cardiac issues, malnutrition, and fevers stemming from malaria, typhoid, and dengue. Due to its location in a conflict zone, trauma and injury cases are anticipated, as well.
In 2018 IMANA provided patients in the country with medicine and supplies worth $72 million dollars. After assessments performed during this mission, the team will plan and prepare for possible future missions. Travel to and from the mission is covered by volunteers in order to maximize program expenses.
Mission volunteers:
Dr. Ismail Mehr, anesthesiology, Hornell, NY
Dr. Kanwal Chaudhry, emergency medicine, New York, NY
Dr. Faiz Hussain, internal medicine, Irvine, CA
Dr. Henna Patel, family practice, Hamburg, NY
Dr. Labib Syed, family practice, Chantilly, VA
Dr. Saqiba Khan, pediatrics, Paramus, NJ
Xhengis Aliu, photographer, Aurora, IL