Direct Relief today received a pledge from the Amgen Foundation for an emergency grant of $100,000 in response to the deadly May 27 earthquake that struck Java.

In turn, Direct Relief provided the entire amount to fund emergency needs for patient transport and surgical items in the frontline hospital caring for victims of the quake.

Direct Relief also today sent via emergency airlift five tons of medical material worth $483,000 ($262,000 of additional material aid from what was first reported) wholesale to a frontline hospital in Bantul and other groups working in the region that had requested the specific items to care for victims.

Muhammadiyah’s Bantul Hospital is located near the epicenter of the May 27 Java earthquake and has been treating trauma victims nonstop since the incident. The patient surge required converting two delivery rooms into operating theaters.

Due to space limitations, surgical patients must be transported to recovery areas outside the hospital. Patient transport and health services to field clinics throughout the region is essential, and the hospital’s two ambulances were damaged by the quake.

Funds provided today are to procure on the local market the following items:

• Two ambulances: $61,110
• Supplies and equipment to equip eight field-based clinics (minor surgery sets, sterilizers, suction, disposables, etc.): $35,555
• 8 small generators to power field clinics: $4,444

The medical material, including surgical instruments, antibiotics, wound dressings, sutures, casting materials, and oral rehydration solutions were sent to Muhammidiyah and other groups with which Direct Relief has been working in connection with the tsunami recovery.

All items were specifically requested by medical personnel in Java.