International Council of Nurses [To donate to nursing in Tsunami affected countries]

Home Tsunami Disaster To donate to nursing in Tsunami affected countries

Subject: Disaster relief: donating to ICN Member National Nurses (NNAs) Associations affected by the earthquake and tsunami in South Asia

Press Release 5 December 2005 Supporting the South Asia Tsunami Relief Effort – Recommendations from the International Council of Nurses
Supporting the South Asia Tsunami Relief Effort – Recommendations from the International Council of Nurses & ICN Memo to Member National Nurses [pdf file, 93 KB]
	ICN has been in contact with the member national nurses associations in the countries most severely affected by the recent disastrous earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia. The NNAs of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand are working closely with their communities and national relief operations to assist populations that have been so terribly hit by this disaster. ICN will act as a focal point through its website for national nurses associations who want to donate funds directly to the national nurses associations of Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand, in order to facilitate and streamline the donations process for donors and relieve communications and administrative burdens for the receiving NNAs. As of Saturday 8 January a mechanism to make such donations on the ICN Website at www.icn.ch has been put in place.
To make such a donation, send ICN an email at tsunami@icn.ch and ICN will respond with the donation transfer details.

The affected NNAs will use donated funds to support nurses who have themselves lost their homes and/or family members, strengthen nursing services and to assist in the following ways:
The Sri Lanka Nurses Association is focusing on:

Assisting women who have lost their husbands, other family members, homes and work. These women are particularly vulnerable. The Sri Lanka NNA is raising funds to build a shelter that will provide a safe haven for these women.

The Sri Lanka NNA is also planning to:

Develop and implement counseling programmes for survivors. Donated funds will go to support them in this work as well.

UPDATE: Extend assistance to nurses who have lost loved ones and property.

Indonesian Nurses Association is focusing on:

Equipping nurses well so they work safely and independently in the field. Funding will assist them to purchase and provide the following items in order to outfit as many nurses as possible: backpacks, rubber boots, rubber gloves, blanket and portable mattress, raincoat; basic shelter; basic medicines; water; insect repellent and bite medication. Please DO NOT send such items – it is much more effective for them to be purchased in country.

UPDATE: 1. Help the nurses who have been affected and lost properties
2. Equip nurses from other provinces to support and provide nursing care
3. Long term rehabilitation
4. List of things needed to equip nurses to be safe and ready to serve
5. Develop statement that will be sent as soon as possible.

The Thailand Nurses Association is focusing on providing counseling services for:

Nurse survivors who have lost family members and property,

Nurses who are working intensively in the field and are in need of support and respite

The Thailand NNA is also focusing on providing training including:

Training in counseling survivors

Expertise, such as wound care and re-infection of wounds

While ICN will respond also to donations to affected NNAs from individual nurses, we are encouraging them to check first to see if their NNAs will be coordinating such on a national level.

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