C-MAT hasn’t given up on Japan mission yet
Posted Mar 16, 2011 07:34:00 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A local medical team says it wants to return to earthquake-ravaged Japan even though it was forced to leave because of the radiation scare.
The Canadian Medical Assistance Team touched down at YVR just after 11 this morning.
Valerie Rzekpa with C-MAT tells News1130 members haven’t given up on their mission just yet. “It’s not a done deal yet.”
“We definitely are continuing to raise funds for the emergency and we have resources that we need to use with the Japanese people with medications and any sort of medical supplies that they require,” she adds.
Rzepka isn’t ruling out sending another group. “At this time, we made the decision to bring them home for their own safety,” she says. “We’ll continue to monitor; as soon as the situation stabilizes, we will likely send a team back over.”
Team member David Johnson says they didn’t have people with them trained to deal with nuclear emergencies, this time. “We do have the expertise on our roster that we can send, people who are equipped to deal with the nuclear and radioactive issues that are facing our team right now.”
Kevin Sanford is one of several paramedics on the team. “I think the emotional part came with having to leave early. We were frustrated that we had to leave, but it was a safety factor for our team, so we decided to take the team back and re-group and continue working.”
Looking tired and loaded with unused supplies at YVR, another paramedic Ryan Thorburn says they ran into plenty of slowdowns. “Roadblocks and no-fly zones and stuff like that. If we come out now, it’s easier to get back in, in another three or four days, and that’s what you’ll see. You’re going to see another CMAT team probably deploying pretty quickly.”
Meanwhile, airports in Japan are jammed with throngs of people who are trying to escape.
Americans are being warned to evacuate if they’re near damaged nuclear power plants. Japan is telling people within a 50-kilometre range to get out.
Some Canadians in Japan have been complaining about our country’s response, but the Prime Minister says enough is being done and scheduled air service is adequate.
To support the team’s efforts and donate securely online, you can go to canadianmedicalteams.org or imateam.org
