Realia Joined 3rd Marine Expeditionary Medical Assistance Team.

May 27th 2006, a devastating 6.3 scale earthquake shattered Bantul district Yogyakarta (approximately 15 kilometers to the South of Realia’s office) causing fatalities of more than 5000 life and leaving hundreds of thousands injured. Amidst the distresses and destructions following the earthquake, aids from various organizations, local to world wide, poured to Bantul in scores of forms.

The United States Marine with its 3rd Marine Expeditionary Medical Assistance Team reached the regency of Sewon Bantul in May 31st 2006 to provide medical assistance to the disaster torn district. A medical and logistic team consists of approximately 150 Marine and Navy personnel immediately established field medical facilities comprise of a clinic, an x ray facility and an operating room.

Language was the main barrier to the US nationality team members to communicate with the non-English speaking local patients. In order to overcome the problem a team of interpreters was assigned to bridge crucial communication between the medical team members and the locals who desperately seeking for medical attention. 14 of the total 25 interpreters on the job, were organized by Realia Translation and Interpretation Department.

From May 31 to June 10 2006, the interpreters assisted US medical staff members in all medical facilities as well as in all outreach missions. One of the officers of US Marines described that the role of the interpreters was fundamental in the medical team’s ability to conduct operations. Various of tasks were assigned to the interpreters such as: keeping and arranging medical records, assisting doctors in the operating room, escorting patients’ transfer from one facility to another, facilitating meetings between US Marine/Navy officers and Indonesian Armed Forces officers, doctors, government officers as well as local/national media reporters. The main task of the interpreters was to translate information between the US military forces and the local citizens.

At the end of the 11 day mission, the expedition has served medical assistance for more than 5000 patients divided in four categories and sent more than 100 outreach missions to several earthquake torn villages.

Hapi (in orange shirt) comforts one of the patients in the O.R. during operation while explaining the patient’s condition to one of the doctors.

Pristi and Lilis work together with one of US Marine’s medical staffs to discuss the problem of long line of patients at the clinic.



The doctors’ instructions must be interpreted carefully and correctly in order to be fully understood by the patient. Elok (in red shirt) cautiously conveys the doctor’s instruction to the 50 year old patient to roll to the left during one of many surgeries performed in the facility

Team of interpreters: upon completion of the 11 day mission in Bantul. Squatting on the left is USMC's Lt. Rob Woodard.

.