{ { Infobox organization
| name = Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) | image = | type = Disaster Response; Emergency Management; Charitable organization | vat_id = Canadian Charitable Registration #88439 3315 RR0001 | founded_date = 2008 | location = PO Box 35055 Ellerbeck Station, Toronto, Ontario, M4K 3P5 Canada | phone = 416-305-0290 | key_people = Board ChairBrandon Duncan, RN(London, Ontario)Vice ChairCarolyn Davies, NP(Amherstburg, Ontario)Executive Director Valerie Rzepka, NP(Toronto, Ontario)Director of CommunicationsDr. Anthony Fong(Vancouver, British Columbia)Treasurer/ Secretary Nathan Blackstock, ACP(Vancouver, British Columbia)Director of LogisticsDavid Thanh(Squamish, British Columbia)Director at Large Christina Coambs(Barrie, Ontario)Director at Large Mikael Kjellström(Barriere, British Columbia) | area_served = Canada and International | focus = Disasters, Medical, Surgical, Humanitarian aid, Development and Recovery | method = Medical, Major Trauma, Primary Health Care, Maternal/ Newborn | num_volunteers = 1000+ | num_employees = 0 | non-profit_slogan = Helping the world at the time of disaster | homepage = | Facebook page = | footnotes = Collaboration with Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Response, Canadian Forces, Sphere Project }}Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT)''' is a Canadian grassroots, non profit disaster relief organization based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Through its medical relief and development projects, CMAT seeks to improve the health and welfare of families both in Canada and in developing countries around the world.
History
Canadian Medical Assistance Teams was established in 2004 in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami as the medical arm of Canadian Relief Foundation. Two teams of paramedics from British Columbia and Saskatchewan were deployed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia to provide medical aid to the victims of the disaster. With lessons learned in Indonesia, CMAT prepared for further deployments.
Deployments
CMAT has a database of over 1000 health professionals from across Canada, one of its strengths is the ability to be flexible. CMAT is firmly dedicated to building capacity in the communities provided with assistance, and so any project which is initiated will only be in direct partnership with local authorities and with the support, guidance and permission of the host government.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami was the first time CMAT sent medical teams overseas. Over the course of eight weeks, three Canadian medical teams consisting of paramedics and physicians were deployed to Indonesia, with the first team deploying within 10 days of disaster. CMAT's medical team worked alongside teams from Mercy Malaysia and collaborated with Canadian consular officials from Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to establish medical stations and administer medical care and first aid to displaced persons in Medan, Banda Aceh, and Meuloboh, Indonesia.
2005 Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, the Category 3 storm made landfall in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. CMAT deployed an assessment team to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After three days in the Area of Operations (AOO) and completion of an on-ground tactical assessment, it was determined that CMAT's trauma team of physicians, trauma nurses and flight paramedics should not be deployed to the area. The two-member assessment team cited significant political infighting and substantial lack of command and control structure, which together posed serious problems for logistical support and basic information.
2005 Kashmir earthquake
On October 8, 2005, a major earthquake registered a moment magnitude of 7.6 in Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan. Occurring at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time, it registered a moment magnitude of 7.6 The disaster destroyed 50% of the buildings in Muzaffarabad (including most of the official buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir, alone. The severity of the damage caused by the earthquake is attributed to severe upthrust, coupled with poor construction.