24 March 2011
MSF plans to support a team of six psychologists who will treat survivors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit northeast Japan on March 11th.
An MSF doctor consults with a patient in an evacuation centre in Minami Sanriku, Japan. Photo: Jun Saito/MSF
A 12-person MSF team has been treating patients with chronic diseases in one of the areas worst affected by the disasters for the last 12 days, and earlier this week sent a psychologist to evaluate mental health needs.
“Many people now are in a phase of acute stress disorder, which is a totally natural response to this level of trauma,” said Ritsuko Nishimae, a clinical psychologist working with the MSF team in Minami...
06 April 2011
A team of six MSF Japanese psychologists have started working with the survivors of the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated areas of northeast Japan on March 11th.
MSF staff treat a patient in an evacuation centre in Minami Sanriku, Japan. Photo: Giulio Di Sturco/ VII mentor
MSF sent a team to the area the day after the quake and tsunami flattened coastal areas, and have continued to work in the area since then.
Using small, highly mobile teams, MSF identified pockets of people whom the massive national aid effort had not yet reached and started running mobile clinics. The main medical issues addressed by 12-person MSF team have been the treatment of...
12 March 2011
Photo: Jiji Press
Flooded houses and driftwood near Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture
On Saturday evening (local time), the MSF assessment team reached the area of northeast Japan hit by the devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake.
“In some places, we saw that houses and buildings had been completely destroyed," said Mikiko Dotsu, the coordinator of the MSF assessment team. "Local people said the water from the tsunami had gone down from yesterday, but there was still a lot of flooding."
The MSF team is in an evacuation centre in Sendal City with around 100 local people checking their health, and say that initially it appears that...
13 March 2011
Houses and cars are swept out to sea in Kesennuma city March 11, 2011.The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began 140 years ago struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, ships, cars and farm buildings on fire. Photos: Reuters
Following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunamis that devastated areas of northeast Japan on Friday afternoon, a chartered helicopter with two MSF teams has landed in Miyagi prefecture.
The team is travelling to the medical coordination centre in the worst-affected area in Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture.
The team comprises medical and logistical staff and...
13 March 2011
apan earthquake update
The MSF team sent to the area devastated by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunamis in northeast Japan continues to assist in the massive government-led relief effort. The team has expanded to 10 people, with further personnel being sent on Monday.
Houses swept out to sea burn following a tsunami and earthquake in Natori City in northeastern Japan March 11, 2011. Photo: Reuters
“On Sunday, we conducted mobile clinics and assessments in two evacuation centres,” said Mikiko Dotsu, the coordinator of the MSF team.
“It appears that medical needs are increasing in evacuation centres,” said...
16 March 2011
The General Director of MSF Japan was interviewed on Morning Ireland on Monday 14th March. He describes the relief effort and what the situation is on the ground for both rescue workers and the survivors in the worst hit areas of Sendai city and around Miyagi prefecture.
"There are definitly huge medical needs in the evacuation centre, and amongst the people who haven't reached the evacuation centres"