Save a life, save humanity
keeping individuals and opportunity alive
Below is the first report of the activities during this Arbaeen Mission--our detailed update from the 15th IMI Arbaeen Medical Camp--with details on the additional highlights to be shared in subsequent newsletters.
The primary complaints our general medical patients came in with included cough (dry & productive), body pains (including generalized, back, leg, knee and foot pain), congestion, headaches, dizziness and blisters.
Many patients were diagnosed with cold/flu, respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, as well as heat-related illnesses including heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration.
A range of specialists were available to handle all needs ranging from a variety of skin rashes and infections to surgical procedures.
.png)
While many patients seen in the IMI Arbaeen Medical Camp in Karbala can be dealt with reasonably quickly and efficiently by the team of healthcare professionals, some issues require much deeper management and specialist expertise. Operating at the level of a Field Hospital, IMI's Arbaeen Medical Camp consultants quickly and deftly took care of these needs, performing tertiary level care in the field as required.
Patients came in with a deep lacerations as well as with abscesses including pilonidal abscess. Another of a patient needed the reconstruction of the tip of his amputated finger in his right hand after injuring it in a machine.
IMI's emergency team first gave him antibiotics, pain management and a wound washout while specialists prepared for his procedure. The patient then had the terminisation of his finger tip while under local anaesthetics before his wound was expertly closed by the IMI surgeon. The patient was discharged - with antibiotics - with treatment follow-ups through daily dressings at the camp.
In addition to surgical procedures, IMI's teams also handled several emergencies each day--saving the lives of hundreds of zawaar.
This year a number of emergency cases were due to dehydration and heat exhaustion. A large number of critical patients with myocardial infarction, epilepsy, stroke, heat stroke, and acute abdomen were also successfully resuscitated and stabilized prior to transport to the nearby hospitals.
Our team also set a number of injuries in plaster of paris casts to ensure proper healing of fractures. One case involved a patient who suffered a left wrist fracture after falling in the Imam Ali (AS) Shrine in Najaf. At the time, the 68-year-old was put into a temporary half cast. At IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Camp in Karbala, the temporary cast was changed to a complete plaster of Paris cast to provide more stability of the fracture and prevent any further loss of position.
Under constant pressure, our incredible pharmacy team worked diligently to ensure prescriptions were filled quickly. They kept an eye on stock levels with daily inventories, projections of items to purchase to provide the necessary medications for the zawaar for free.
More than 700 seen over the course of just a week, eye check-ups were provided by our Doctor of Optometry for hundreds of patients with free glasses given to patients as necessary as well.
A quick look behind the scenes to share just a handful of images that capture the camaraderie and team spirit that grows quickly and deeply to bind us together as one--as the IMI Arbaeen family which has been nurtured for 15 years and Inshallah will only continue to grow each year!
While our work for the camp begins many months in advance, the team also comes together for our on-the-ground orientation and final set-up activities the day before the camp opens. On August 28, the team came together to help clean, place banners, move in medications, process inventory and much more.
As in previous years, IMI's 15th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission started off by drawing on spirituality and reaffirming our commitments of service to our Imams with inspirational and galvanizing Ziyarat visits to Najaf, Kufa, Samarra and Kadhmain, before coming into Karbala to pay respects there.
One of the hardest things to do each time is to close the Arbaeen Medical Camp with prayers that we receive the call to serve again next year. Following Ziyarat-e-Arbaeen, our closing this year included the recognition of each team member for their tremendous work and diligent efforts to provide services for the zawaar of our Imam. As we reflect on our recent mission to provide medical assistance during the Arbaeen pilgrimage, we want to express my deepest gratitude and admiration for each and every one of our our team. It was an honor and privilege to serve with all of you.Our journey was not just a physical one but a journey of compassion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serving those in need and not less than zawaar of Imam Hussain (A.S.). Together, we embarked on a mission that demanded tireless effort, empathy, and a spirit of selflessness. We are proud to say that we not only met but exceeded our goals, making a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals and in return gained enormous spiritual fulfillment with happiness of our Imam AJTM. Even then we feel we did very little for Ahlul Bait (A.S.) and hope for the opportunity to return to serve again.<.br>The success of IMI’s 15th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission would not have been possible without the collective expertise, teamwork, and resilience that the team all brought to the table. Its professionalism, whether it was providing medical care, logistical support, or simply offering a comforting presence, shone brightly throughout the entire mission. Our ability to work together as a cohesive unit, adapting to challenging circumstances and delivering vital medical aid to those in need, has left a lasting impression on IMI. It serves as a testament to our shared values and our unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the local communities and organizations that supported our mission, as their cooperation was instrumental in our success.
As we return from this mission, let us carry forward the lessons learned, the bonds forged, and the shared memories that will forever connect us. Our work during the Arbaeen pilgrimage is a testament to what can be achieved when individuals come together with a common purpose and a heart full of compassion connected to Imam Hussain.
Once again, our sincerest appreciation for the team’s dedication, sacrifices, and incredible contributions to this mission. Each of you have made a real difference in the lives of those we served, and you have made us all proud. Let us continue to stand united in our commitment to making a positive impact on the world. We look forward to our future missions together and to the difference we will undoubtedly continue to make.
It was an excellent conference well planned, presented, and well attended. If individually traveling we may have never enjoyed the kind of reception the participants received throughout their stay in Iran.
I want to thank you all for giving me such a great opportunity to be a part of your team (in Haiti). It was a unique experience and I really enjoyed working with you all.
Thank you very much for the wonderful work you do. I have seen it first hand in Karbala during the Arbaeen camps and my son was fortunate to participate in two of the missions. I have made a donation today.
If InshAllah, I secure a residency in the upcoming match, I will owe the organizers and the speakers at the seminar more than they will take credit for.
IMI has been my outlet for philanthropic work since before I entered into high school. It is through IMI that I see my efforts, here in New Jersey, manifest into something much greater around the world. IMI has helped me realize that ambition alone is not enough to change the world; in order to achieve the changes we wish to see in this world we require ambition, vision, and most importantly execution. That is why I have joined IMI, so that my ambition and vision can meet their execution.
© 2017-2018 Imamia Medics International. All rights reserved.
