Project | Salt Trail: Trek and Treat |
Objectives | • To provide basic medical care for targeted communities • To promote responsible eco-tourism and recreational activities • To create awareness on the importance of preserving the environment |
Project Partners | • Partners of Community Organisation (PACOS TRUST) • Sabah Parks • UMW Holdings Bhd |
Activities | Comprehensive outreach clinics providing medical care and dental care, eye screening and Pap smear tests |
Locations | Crocker Range Mountains (Kampung Tikolod, Kampung Kionop, Kampung Buayan and Kampung Terian in the Tambunan District) |
Period | 24 to 28 April 2012 |
Accomplishments | 682 community members from four villages were treated |
BACKGROUND
The eighth ‘Trek and Treat’ programme, jointly-organised by MERCY Malaysia, PACOS Trust and Sabah Parks was held along the Salt Trail at the Crocker Range Park. The mission involved 29 participants including medical doctors, park rangers, nurses, businessmen, IT engineers, civil servants, lecturers, dentists, guides and porters. The programme involved trekking through primary jungle and across no less than eight rivers, with the highest point of the route standing at 1,320 metres and the lowest point measuring 220 metres above sea level.
MERCY MALAYSIA’S EFFORTS
MERCY Malaysia views these missions as a great opportunity to reach remote local communities and to provide basic medical care to the villagers along the Salt Trail. Medical doctors and nurses who joined this challenging programme provided basic medical screening, dental care, health education and reproductive health advice to the villagers. MERCY Malaysia attended to back pains, headaches, rashes, minor cuts and wounds, diarrhoea, ear and eye infections and fevers. MERCY Malaysia provided Pap smear test, dental services and distributed reading glasses. The programme also promoted responsible eco-tourism, recreational activities and awareness on the importance of preserving the environment.