internationalsos.com - Press releases
Clients in Samoa and American Samoa receiving assistance after Tsunami01 October 2009Samoa and American Somoa
International SOS is activating medical, logistical and security resources to respond to calls for assistance from clients and members affected by the earthquake and tsunami impacting Samoa and American Samoa this morning.
A team comprising medical and security staff is travelling to Samoa on 1 October to assess the situation and provide immediate assistance to members. Aviation assets are being secured to enable the evacuation of members as required. Dr David Cooper, Medical Director for International SOS, says “This is a devastating event for those communities. From what we learned in our response to the Boxing Day tsunami in Aceh, an early assessment and management of the ill and injured is critical, as well as managing the public health issues.” Members from Australia, New Zealand and other countries have suffered injuries and have been stranded when residential and holiday accommodation was destroyed. A crisis management team has been activated in Sydney and Auckland to coordinate the response. Email alerts were despatched to clients around the world within an hour of the event advising of the earthquake and tsunami warnings. Subsequent updates have highlighted the impact of the events and emerging health and safety issues. International SOS and Control Risks have utilised their proprietary Travel Tracker system to identify members in the affected areas, as well as responding to calls to the International SOS Alarm Centres in Sydney, Auckland and elsewhere. During the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, International SOS evacuated more than 100 injured victims for medical care and repatriated mortal remains. Clients were also assisted with finding missing employees and family members, with accommodation and travel arrangements, as well as ongoing updates and advice. “We saw some terrible injuries in the Boxing Day Tsunami including broken bones, drownings and badly infected wounds. Tragically women and children suffer most in these disasters” said Dr Cooper. At this very difficult time, we send our condolences to the individuals and families affected by the disaster. International SOS will do all we can to provide assistance to our clients, members and victims. About International SOS International SOS (http://www.internationalsos.com/) has global operations in over 70 countries, spanning five continents. The company provides clients with a comprehensive portfolio of medical and security services to ensure that people travelling and working internationally have access to immediate help. International SOS' services range from 24-hour medical advice, referrals to qualified doctors and hospitals as well as provision of emergency medical and security evacuations when there is a critical illness, accident or civil unrest. In 2008, the company handled over 1 million assistance cases, including 18,000 medical evacuations. For media enquiries, please contact: Melissa Lysaght Selina Lim Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific Control Risks Tel: +65 6227 2038; Mobile: +65 9108 3620 Email: selina.lim@control-risks.com
Dr David Cooper Regional Medical Director – Assistance Tony Ridley
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