Description:

The OMAT is always recruiting volunteer-minded physicians (all specialties), nurses and medical technicians for our missions to Haiti and Guyana.

Not everyone can serve on missions. The OMAT is seeking professionals who are adaptive to cultural difference, easily adapt to change in plans and who love to work with people in a respectful and caring manner.

Overseas Medical Assistance Team was officially founded as a non-profit organization with the mission to enhance the quality of medical care in developing countries by:

Providing medical assistance through volunteer physicians, nurses and other health care professionals;
Donating medical equipment and supplies to health care organizations in the Caribbean and Africa;
Conducting in-service training and health education seminars for health care providers in these countries;
Raising funds for related activities and projects; and,
Arranging for severely ill patients from the Caribbean to be brought to the United States for treatment

OMAT’s success in fulfilling that mission was due to a core group of dedicated volunteers. Even today, these physicians, nurses and other health care providers pay their airfare and lodging costs and donate their particular expertise on each trip overseas.

The OMAT was one of the first responders after the earthquake in 2010 devastated Haiti. Dr. Carryl lead a team through the Dominican Republic to get to Port au Prince to provide trauma assistance. As a result the OMAT arranged for prosthetic services for patients and provided a two-year grant for the salaries of three physicians to serve at a local hospital caring for victims of the quake.

Recently the OMAT was responsible for training five Haitian physicians in laporoscopic surgery. The physicians from hospitals in Port au Prince and Milot came for training at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, where the OMAT president, Dr. Stephen Carryl, serves a the chairman of surgery. Dr. Carryl traveled to Haiti on two occassions to supervise those physicians as they performed their laporoscopic cases. This is a tremendous benefit to patient and physician alike. The recovery time of these surgeries are a special benefit for patients who travel miles for treatment. The OMAT continues to assist in trainng and enhancing of skills of local personnel so that they can continue in the OMAT’s absence.

The OMAT responded to an appeal by the local seventhday adventist church in Milot to help with a school building project which they had been trying to complete for three years. Although the OMAT does not engage in civic mission Dr. Carryl saw a need to contribute to the betterment of the community at large. The building that housed more than 300 students was in terrible condition. Partnering with the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church in Long Island, the ‘I Live To Give Mission’ took place from July 11 – 22, 2014. Thirty volunteers traveled to Milot for the OMAT first civic and medical mission. A new school building project began with the help of funds from the OMAT and donors who contributed to this worthy cause.

Today, the OMAT depends on the contributions of some dedicated donors and supporters to fund its projects. The annual golf outing and a bi-annual walk -a-thon are two of the fund raising events held in support of the OMAT missions.

Now approaching its 24th year, OMAT remains poised to continue providing aid at home and abroad. Please check the details of OMAT’s missions, projects and events on this website.

Organizational Base: East Norwich, New York

Other Programs: School Construction, Laparascopic Surgical Training, Hospital Adoption