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WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio
February 9, 2005

Millions of survivors of southern Asia’s tsunami are still homeless, and hundreds of thousands still need medical care. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals are traveling to devastated countries to help, including a Columbus doctor and his nurse whom 10TV caught up with in Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka on his mission of healing.

Even before the tsunami hit, medical care in northern Sri Lanka wasn't what you would call ideal. Beds at hospitals have always scattered outdoor walkways, and even babies have had to face the elements.

But now, it is worse. The tsunami wiped out homes and entire villages. People now cling to whatever foreign help comes their way. Dr. Mervyn Samuel traveled 9,000 miles to his homeland of Sri Lanka with the mission of helping anyone who needs it, with everything from basic first aid to prenatal care. Dr. Samuel is an OB/GYN, so he knows pregnancy doesn't stop during a disaster, no matter how great. But he also knows the aftermath of the tsunami has changed people’s lives in other ways.

“The main concern is nutrition, because they have lost their homes. So are they taking medicines, iron and vitamins?” Dr. Samuel wonders. A makeshift medical clinic inside one tsunami relief camp appeared anything but well-equipped. Uncomfortable wooden tables served as medical beds, and antibiotics were clearly hard to come by.

One by one, tsunami victims came to the clinic where Dr. Samuel was assisting. People were waiting to have just one moment with this American doctor and thankful to be alive. The village of Mullaitivu once had a population of 5,000. It’s estimated that only 1,000 of the villagers survived. Dr. Samuel and his nurse from McArthur, Ohio, Loretta Faris, brought other basic care items to give to people they encountered. They passed outtoothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss to people who came to the clinic.

Four out of eight maternity clinics on the east coast of Sri Lanka were destroyed. In addition, those remaining suffered considerable damage. Dr. Samuel told 10TV that his greatest concern is making sure healthy babies are born to healthy mothers.