Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signing between MERCY Malaysia and Dinas Kesehatan, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia

17 December 2011– MERCY Malaysia has successfully signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dinas Kesehatan, North Sumatra, Indonesia for the Mother and Child Health Programme in a ceremony held at Pantai Cermin Kiri, Serdang Bedagai District, North Sumatra Province.

Medan was specially identified as the strategic location for the implementation of the Mother and Child Health Programme (Program Pengurangan Kematian Ibu, Bayi Baru Lahir dan Anak - KIBLA) so as to raise awareness and publicity on various health risk issues for both mother and child, including reducing child malnutrition prevalence and to help reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the region.

“MERCY Malaysia has a good track record with Indonesia and this project is seen as a good platform in strengthening the relationship with Dinas Kesehatan North Sumatra, Indonesia,” said MERCY Malaysia President, Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Faizal Perdaus in the ceremony.  

This project will be assessed and monitored by MERCY Malaysia with the collaboration of local partners namely Dinas Kesehatan North Sumatra Province, public health workers as well as selected medical and non medical volunteers. Malaysian medical students especially in North Sumatra, Indonesia are also expected to join the monitoring team.

The President further elaborated that MERCY Malaysia’s presence in Indonesia began 10 years ago in 2001 in Nias and Maluku, when “we first gave assistance to flood survivors followed by our response to the Acheh Tsunami in 2004 and the Nias earthquake in 2005. We also responded to the Mentawai earthquake where we provided medical and non-medical relief assistance to the affected islanders as well as other disaster victims in Jogjakarta, Bengkulu and Padang.”

The Mother and Child Health Programme is the first medium to long term project to be carried out by MERCY Malaysia in Indonesia as an initial effort towards opening its first country office in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia since its establishment 12 years ago. This country office would run its own administrative work such as communications, operations and finance.

“This MOU is part of the efforts towards reducing the mortality rate of mothers and infants particularly in the Kabupaten (District) of Serdang Bedagai of North Sumatra, where MERCY Malaysia was made to understand that the death rate of mothers in 2010 was 160/100,000 while the infant death rate was 27/1000.

Meanwhile, in his speech at the official launch of this project, H.T. Erry Nuradi the Bupati Serdang Bedagai (Head of Serdang Bedagai District) said that “the health risk problem of mothers and infants is a serious health issue that needs to be prioritized and addressed urgently by all relevant agencies and not only the ruling government”. He further commended MERCY Malaysia for complementing the joint KIBLA project with Dinas Kesehatan North Sumatra.

In fact, Dinas Kesehatan, Serdang Bedagai North Sumatra District has already started the full medical check up for pregnant mothers and infants below 5 years old in Pantai Cermin Kiri, Serdang Bedagai District, North Sumatra Province.

  

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About MERCY Malaysia

MERCY Malaysia is a non‐profit organisation focusing on providing medical relief, sustainable health-related development and risk reduction activities for vulnerable communities in both crisis and non-crisis situations. MERCY Malaysia recognises the value of working with partners and volunteers as well as providing opportunities for individuals to serve with professionalism. We uphold the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief and hold ourselves accountable to our donors and beneficiaries. As a non‐profit organisation, MERCY Malaysia relies solely on funding and donations from organisations and generous individuals to continue our services to provide humanitarian assistance to our beneficiaries.

 

 

Media Contacts:

MERCY Malaysia

Nurliyana Fatin Bt Mohd Don Alfian, Communications Officer

Level 2, Podium Block, Citypoint, Kompleks Dayabumi, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

T: 6-03-2273 3999, F: 6-03-2272 3812, E: fatin@mercy.org.my W: www.mercy.org.my

 

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