A Brent paramedic jetted off to the Philippines with a charity disaster response team to provide medical relief to those affected by the devastating Typhoon last month.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Susanna Trow gives medicial aid to injured residentsSusanna Trow gives medicial aid to injured residents (Image: Archant)

Susanna Trow, 27, was part of a 16-strong Emergency Response Team Search and Rescue (ERT) of UK and Canadian volunteers that visited areas damaged by Typhoon Haiyan in the South East Asia country.

She said: “I found it quiet emotional. We had queues of people waiting and surrounding the helicopter.”

“Everyone was desperate to receive help from us.”

“Most patients had wounds that needed cleaning and dressing and antibiotics and there were lots of people with foot and leg injuries due to the amount of debris everywhere.”

The group were transported to small islands by helicopter that had not been accessible before and set up a medical centre in a nearby school that had been badly damaged.

Susanna, who works for the London Ambulance Service based in Neasden Lane, Neasden, was away for 10 days and said the experience put everything into perspective.

During their time at the storm stricken country, ERT provided medical treatments to around 500 typhoon victims and donated more than $10,000 (£5,725) of medical aid including essential medicine.

The relief team also helped in painstaking manual labour including rebuilding and restoring damaged infrastructure, clearing debris, roads and buildings with rescue equipment such as chainsaws.

Ms Trow said: “We were the first team to get any help to these people and they had been without food, power or electricity for two weeks.

“I’m proud that the team was able to go out there and make a difference. It will take them years to rebuild their lives and it makes you really appreciate what you’ve got.”

For information on how to donate to the charity visit http://www.justgiving.com/ERT-Search-and-Rescue-UK