The ‘angels’ of Myanmar

KUALA LUMPUR: The Myanmar Cyclone Nargis victims thought angels had arrived when Kaythi Hnin Ebrahim and her five nephews and nieces, doctors and volunteer friends appeared at their doorstep in a mobile clinic.

The victims had been suffering from fractures, infections and cuts from flying zinc roofs for eight days since the cyclone hit and had no money or transport to get to the nearest hospital, said Kaythi, a Myanmar who has lived in Malaysia for 28 years.

“They said they had been waiting for help and no one had come. They had lived with their injuries for days,” said Kaythi, a managing director of three medical centres in Malaysia and Myanmar.

The soft spoken but gutsy Kaythi, 33, said she just drove around in the outskirts of Yangon in an old truck filled with medication to seek out villagers who needed help. When she told some of them that they were there to help, 600 people turned up within three hours.

Everyday, they treated thousands till they were exhausted, recalled Kaythi.

“The people needed food too but we could not provide that at that time,” said Kaythi, adding that they had to pay a fortune for petrol to travel to the outskirts.

Those who wish to provide assistance or donate the needed humanitarian aid can contact Kaythi at kaythi90@hotmail.com.