Advertisement

Ottawa medical specialists head to Egypt and Syria

David Cain, on the left, and Dr. Mohamed Omar are heading to Egypt and Syria.

Two Ottawa medical specialists are preparing to help some of the people hardest hit by the violence in Egypt and Syria, two countries facing deadly conflicts.

David Cain, a flight paramedic with 19 years of experience in war-zones and disaster areas paired up with Dr. Mohamed Omar, who directs FMTCC, a training and consultancy agency for doctors.

The two will start in Egypt and make their way to Syria. The fighting in Syria has taken a devastating human toll, with the UN estimating that more than 100,000 people have been killed.

The idea to go to the two countries started out just last week and the pair have already received more than $50,000 worth of medical supplies.

Among the supplies donated to the pair are ventilators, breathing masks, injections to counteract the effects of chemical weapons and an ambulance.

"It's incredible to see. It makes me very proud to be a Canadian," said Cain.

"We know that it's going to reach the people who are most needy," he said.

Omar moved to Canada from Egypt eight years ago and said he didn't expect to get so many donations in such a short period of time.

"Everybody here in Canada try (sic) to help any people any where in the world, so living here is very nice," said Omar.

They plan on leaving in the fall.