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Filipino nurse tackles mission in one of world's biggest refugee camps

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Erik Tenedero, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Doctors Without Borders" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/20/20221220-doctors-without-borders-l.jpg"/><figcaption>Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito walks through one of the medical facilities in Cox&#x27;s Bazar, Bangladesh where thousands of Rohingya people have been camping after escaping a violent ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine state in Myanmar. Doctors Without Borders</figcaption></figure></div>From civil wars in the Middle East to geopolitical tensions in Africa, and even the threat of terrorism, Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito has faced them all.And so with his new mission, he breathed a bit of a sigh of relief, as the threat of artillery was nowhere in sight. Still, the daunting tasks remain cloaked in a conflict of towering proportions.This time, Sotito’s mission brought him to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people have sought fortress since 2017, thus becoming home to one of the world&#x27;s biggest refugee camps.“Every mission is completely different. Every mission has its own complexity and challenges… So hindi ko siya masasabi na naging iba siya sa ibang misyon ko. Pero ang masasabi ko lang talaga is, ang Bangladesh, in terms of security, isa ito sa pinaka-quiet,” he told ABS-CBN News via Zoom last month.[I can&#x27;t say it was a completely different mission from the previous, but Bangladesh is a bit more relaxed in terms of security.]It was a different quiet, though. Although security problems still abound in the camps, the situation was a far cry from the usual conflict zones Sotito had been to.Sotito has been part of Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), a humanitarian medical non-governmental organization known for its projects in conflict zones, since 2016. Bangladesh is his 11th mission.For this assignment, Sotito, an experienced nurse, has been working as project coordinator managing two hospitals that cater to the refugees — Hospital on the Hill and Goyalmara.He spearheads the operational activity of the project, including manpower management, security, budget, and streamlining of all different departments of the mission.“Wala akong hesitation nung in-accept ko &#x27;tong mission na ‘to… Unang pinaka-challenging part is the size of the project itself, knowing na hindi lang isang project ang mina-manage ko dito kundi dalawang project,&quot; he said from his station in Bangladesh.[I did not hesitate to accept this mission. The main challenge here is the size of the project itself because I&#x27;m managing two projects.]Burdened with management and coordination duties, Sotito’s direct hand in various medical problems is rare.But in a place as unpredictable and as complicated as a refugee camp, he must rise up to the occasion, especially in grave circumstances.“One time, parang meron ata silang urgent case na between life and death... Tinawag ako ng international staff na colleague ko na pediatrician,” Sotito recounted.“Sabi nya Vince, kung pwede sana, alam namin nakatulong ka dito last time na mag-cannula, if possible pwede mo ba kaming matulungan ngayon. Sabi ko, walang problema, available ako.”[One time there was a life and death case. An international staff member, one of my colleagues who is a pediatrician, called. He said, Vince, we know you were able to do the cannula last time, if possible can you please help us? I said, sure no problem, I&#x27;m available.]And so he ran to the hospital in Goyalmara.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Doctors Without Borders" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/20/20221220-doctors-without-borders-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito, project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders mission in the Rohingya camps in Cox&#x27;s Bazar, Bangladesh, speaks with health workers in one of their facilities. Doctors Without Borders</figcaption></figure></div>The case was a newborn who desperately needed intravenous cannulation. The medical team already tried five times to no success.“Specialty ko kasi &#x27;yung paglagay ng dextrose ba or cannulation sa newborn or pediatric infants,” he explained.“So since I had this experience in my previous mission before MSF, in Libya, so sabi ko, sige, I’ll do my best to insert the cannula. And it was successfully done.”[It so happened that cannulation on newborn or pediatric infants is my specialty. Since I had previous experience in my previous mission in Libya, I said I’ll do my best to do it. And it was successfully done.]Sotito’s mission in Cox’s Bazar has been focused on non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. Their facilities also offer primary healthcare, including maternity and mental healthcare.But in squalid camps where refugees are confined in makeshift tents, one can imagine all sorts of medical problems that need to be confronted.“May mga indicators kaming tinitingnan kung pa’no kami mag-adapt sa situation ng camps, kung pa’no namin maa-address ‘yung needs. So looking at the indicators, isa sa indicators na aming nakita is ‘yung increase of water sanitation-related diseases. Alam mo naman, siyempre, poor hygiene kung nasa camp ka, siyempre congested,” Sotito said.“‘Yung mga cases of scabies since March, nagshu-shoot up. Skyrocketing ‘yung cases namin. Meron tayong dengue, so mga lamok, daga, ‘yung mga stagnant water sa camp dengue... Isa rin sa mga indicator namin is gastrointestinal or abdominal cases.”[We have indicators that we use to adapt to the situation in the camps. One of the indicators we saw was the increase in water sanitation-related diseases. Due to congestion, poor hygiene has been common in the camps. We also noticed that cases of scabies have been skyrocketing since March. We also have dengue... Another indicator is gastrointestinal or abdominal cases.]<div>A VETERAN IN CONFLICT ZONES</div>Beaten, raped, forced out of their homes, the Rohingya people are the most persecuted minority in the world and are victims of decades-long ethnic cleansing that many claim amount to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/19/22/thousands-of-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-rally-to-go-home">genocide</a>.The predominantly Buddhist Myanmar has refused to recognize the primarily Muslim Rohingya despite centuries of existence — a conflict that has its roots all the way to the British colonization of the country.The latest exodus began in 2017 as violence erupted in the Rakhine State, forcing the Rohingya to flee on foot, walking for days as they scale mountains and jungles, and braving a dangerous sea voyage across the Bay of Bengal to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. Others sought refuge in Thailand and Malaysia.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/08/31/21/a-former-rohingya-refugee-speaks-its-not-enough-to-just-say-sorry">A former Rohingya refugee speaks: ’It’s not enough to just say sorry’</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/06/19/22/thousands-of-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-rally-to-go-home">Thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh rally to &#x27;go home&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/09/24/22/qa-with-msfs-paul-mcphun-on-myanmars-rohingya">As the world focuses on Ukraine, conditions in Rohingya refugee camp deteriorate</a></li></ul>The Philippines is one of the countries that has a welcoming policy toward the Rohingya people.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Doctors Without Borders" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/20/20221220-doctors-without-borders-2.jpg"/><figcaption>Rohingya refugees pray as they take part in a protest held to mark the fifth anniversary of the mass migration of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh, at a makeshift camp in Kutubpalang, Ukhiya, Cox Bazar district, Bangladesh, 25 August 2022. EPA-EFE/MONIRUL ALAM</figcaption></figure></div>Looking at his past missions, it’s understandable why Sotito considers his post in Bangladesh as more subdued though equally daunting.From his native province of Iloilo in the central Philippines, Sotito’s first foray into international work was Libya, where he worked for five years, including as one of the pioneer nurses in a newly-built 350-bed capacity hospital in the country&#x27;s eastern region, was a preview of the coming years.The escalation of violence due to the civil war forced Sotito to leave the North African country.But after joining Doctors Without Borders, he would find himself, not only working in the same region again but also in the same hospital in East Libya.“Sabi ko, grabeng challenge &#x27;to. Binalik ako sa trabaho ko, binalik ako sa lugar na &#x27;yun,” Sotito said.“Kasama ko na &#x27;yung project coordinator ko, ii-introduce ako. Sabi ko sa kaniya, parang hindi mo na kailangan ako i-introduce kasi every corner of this hospital, kahit electrical wirings alam ko. Kami ang nag-build nitong ospital, kami ang nag-establish nito.”[I said, what a challenge because I was brought back to my former job and my former workplace. When the project coordinator was trying to introduce me, I said there was no need because I know even the electrical wirings in there. I am one of the pioneers in that hospital.]Since then, the Filipino nurse would jump from one conflict zone to another: in Yemen, he faced another civil war, with the mission mostly related to internally displaced population; in Nigeria, there was the threat of Boko Haram, where he managed mobile clinics and dealt again with displaced population; in South Sudan, he worked in one of the organization&#x27;s biggest hospitals; and in Gaza he confronted the aftermath of the escalation of tension with Israel, dealing with war injuries as head nurse.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Doctors Without Borders" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/20/20221220-doctors-without-borders-3.jpg"/><figcaption>In this photo during his mission in Maiduguri, Nigeria in 2018, Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito was seen doing outreach work on seasonal malaria chemoprevention. Doctors Without Borders</figcaption></figure></div>Just before being assigned to Bangladesh in early 2022, Sotito would find himself back in Gaza, just in time for another escalation of tension.“Isa ‘yan sa pinakamahirap ko na mission actually, although masyado siyang maikli,” Sotito said.“Dun ako siguro sa misyon na ‘yun talagang tumulo ‘yung luha ko sa sobrang bigat ng trabaho kasi nga andaming international staff. At the same time, ‘yung complexity ng projects.”[It was one of my toughest missions though it was a short one. That&#x27;s the mission where I shed tears due to the difficulty of the job since there were so many international staff alongside the complexity of the projects.]In between missions, Sotito found refuge in his hometown, with his wife and two daughters, spending vacations for two to three months before accepting new missions.After the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he also had the chance to do projects in Marawi, a place still reeling from the siege in 2017. This was followed by humanitarian works with the devastation caused by typhoon Odette.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2387618" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">A veteran of humanitarian work in conflict zones, Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito&#x27;S latest mission is in one of the world&#x27;s biggest refugee camps.</div><div>THE FILIPINO WAY </div>The situation in Bangladesh may be relatively safer for a humanitarian worker like Sotito, but one of the world&#x27;s biggest refugee camps still poses formidable challenges.One unique issue is the refugees&#x27; health-seeking behavior.“They have their own practice, ‘yung katulad ng mga traditional healers, traditional birth, or sa atin paltera,” he said.“May mga cases kami na nare-receive na late arrival na, they are already in critical state... ‘Pag tinanong namin bakit ganito ang nangyari, sasabihin nila nag-seek sila ng traditional health, mga healers.”[They have their own practice like traditional healers, traditional birth. There are cases that were already too late, they are already in a critical state. When we asked what happened, they said they sought the aid of traditional healers first before asking for medical assistance.]With this magnitude of a project, Sotito also has to coordinate hundreds of staff members, a mix of both local workers and international members.The Filipino nurse admitted handling a multicultural team was part of the challenges he had to deal with in this mission.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Doctors Without Borders" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/20/20221220-doctors-without-borders-4.jpg"/><figcaption>Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito speaks with a health worker in one of the facilities tending to Rohingya refugees in Cox&#x27;s Bazar, Bangladesh. Doctors Without Borders</figcaption></figure></div>But how does one work in a place where images of tragedy abound?For the Filipino nurse, what he brings to counter this is his own Filipino way of doing things.“‘Yung laban lang, ngiti lang kahit maraming trabaho... Sa mga colleagues ko, international staff ko, colleagues in other missions, once they are stressed or nasa sitwasyon na naiipit sila or mabigat sa kanila, nakikita ko talaga na tine-take nila ang issue very serious. Kumbaga kahit ngiti man lang, kahit joke man lang, hindi mo marinig sa kanila,” Sotito shared.“Nginingiti ko na lang at kinukwento ko sa mga colleagues kong Pinoy din. Parang bine-vent ko na lang sa kanila. Kung sa misyon namang walang Pinoy, siguro kino-communicate ko rin sa mga friends ko. Ngiti na lang at laban na lang.”[We just fight through the difficulties, smile even though we have tons of work to do... With my colleagues from other countries, you&#x27;ll easily see when they&#x27;re having a hard time. They can’t even smile or even take a joke. I just smile and tell stories to my Filipino colleagues. For my missions with no fellow Filipinos, I look for friends I can share some anecdotes with. You just smile and fight through.]

After serving different humanitarian missions across the globe, Filipino nurse Jan Vincent Sotito is now stationed in one of the world's biggest refugee camps. 

Filipino nurse tackles mission in one of world's biggest refugee camps

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Filipino nurse tackles mission in one of world's biggest refugee camps

Erik Tenedero,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 20, 2022 06:24 PM PHT

Read More:

Rohingya

Rohingya people

Rakhine state

Myanmar

Bangladesh

Cox's Bazar

Jan Vincent Sotito

Doctors Without Borders

Hospital on the Hill

Goyalmara

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