UPenn doctor traveled overseas to help Syria, Turkey with deadly earthquake
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On Sunday night, a critical care physician from the University of Pennsylvania is back from Syria and Turkey after spending 10 days trying to help people devastated by last month's deadly earthquake.
"Just the heartache - you feel that everywhere - no one has to say anything you feel it," Dr. Nahreen Ahmed, the medical director of MedGlobal, said.
Days after returning home from the Turkey-Syria border, Dr. Ahmed described the devastation so many families are facing following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that leveled cities and killed more 50,000 people
"These are community members that were pulling rubble out themselves with their hands to try and save their family members," Dr. Ahmed said.
Dr. Ahmed is one of 12 doctors from across the United States who volunteered their expertise to travel with MedGlobal, an organization helping communities rebuild healthcare systems after disasters.
"In Syria, they need everything from medical supplies, to medications they need rebuilding of hospitals, they need hospital beds, they need training," Dr. Ahmed said.
Although the UPenn ICU doctor and Delaware County native is trained to deal with difficult situations, she acknowledges the tough path ahead.
"We're really looking at a crisis that's going to span a long period of time," Dr. Ahmed said.
But she says while the loss is immense, so too is the power of humanity.
"People just want to be able to talk about what happened to them and be heard and think that's a big part of it," Dr. Ahmed said.
Her message: We all have a role to play in helping someone in need. Whether it's a neighbor down the street or a nation thousands of miles away - it matters.
"Every little bit counts, every little bit, especially in places in the world where they lack so much, and the more we do our part the better the world will be I hope one day," Dr. Ahmed said.
