MUHAMMADIYAH.ID, YOGYAKARTA - On Sunday (8/7), Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) collaborating with Office of Health Services (MPKU) of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah selected an emergency medical team (EMT) for an international level. The team, later, will be registered to World Health Organization (WHO).

The selection process was conducted at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta and participated by 38 people from medical and non-medical workers. The EMT was chosen from Muhammadiyah charity for a health field (AUM-Kes), while the non-medical team was selected from the regional MDMC in Indonesia. To ease the recruitment, it was organized in two areas, namely Jakarta for the east of Indonesia and Yogyakarta for the middle and west of Indonesia.

Program Manager of the EMT dr. Corona Rintawan stated that the recruitment was held to enhance capacity and level of a medical team of the MDMC.

“The recruitment is a part of preparation of WHO’s verification. We will later upgrade the capacity of the medical team so that they can officially meet international standards of a medical team. Indeed, it is also a process to achieve acknowledgment as an international emergency medical team,” explained dr. Corona.

The EMT accreditation process is a mandate of Muhammadiyah Congress 2015 that Muhammadiyah is expected to play roles in national and international levels in this globalization era. dr. Corona, who works at RS Muhammadiyah Lamongan, informed that the MDMC has engaged in national disaster responses and has been recognized by national policy makers. To undertake the mandate, the MDMC collaborates with the MPKU and LazisMu.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the MPKU Agoes Sulistiyo Dunda declared that the engagement of the MPKU in the EMT recruitment was to provide support in the field of health and system so that the team can become excellent international volunteers.

“The MPKU and MDMC support each other because we are in a similar umbrella so that we have mutualistic relationships,” expressed Agoes.

Public and WHO trust to Muhmmadiyah encourage the MDMC to exist in international levels by submitting a proposal to WHO to be a part of international volunteers. The proposal may ease MDMC bureaucracy when the team would like to volunteer for international disasters.

“Since the beginning, the MDMC has indirectly got involved even though the team has had capability, competences, Muhammadiyah resources. However, there are a lot of permits to comply with so that the MDMC should be a sub division of another organization. The experiences, then, embolden the MDMC to propose itself to WHO,” conveyed Agoes.

The MPKU also expected that the EMT could become an excellent team of Muhammadiyah. “Insya Allah, the team will represent Indonesia because, when WHO assigns a team, they must be from Muhammadiyah. Sending the team is an implementation of Islamic teaching to be real Muslims and as contribution to a realm of disasters,” ended Agoes.