In March 2022, TEAM5 Medical Foundation traveled on its first post-COVID humanitarian aid mission to the Palpa regions of Nepal, providing much-needed medical relief for indigenous peoples in the rural and mountainous areas of the country. Tasmanian Tiger®, a TEAM5 Silver Sponsor, provided support with product and financial donations to the non-profit SOFMED veteran foundation.
TEAM5 Medical Foundation member meeting with patients in rural Palpa regions of Nepal.
Knoxville, Tenn. (June 2022) – Tasmanian Tiger®, a tactical nylon line of products distributed exclusively for the US market by Proforce Equipment, Inc., welcomes the return of the TEAM5 Medical Foundation from its mission to provide medical relief to several remote villages in the Palpa region of Nepal. TEAM5 is a non-profit SOFMED veteran foundation providing medical relief to some of the world’s most overlooked populations in hard-to-reach places.
The Nepal expedition, originally scheduled before COVID-19 restrictions, was finally launched in March of this year. The TEAM5 team, consisting of a highly trained medical team comprised of professionals from the USA, UK, Croatia, and Nepal, are all volunteers. Many TEAM5 volunteers traveled over 25 hours in flight to arrive in Katmandu, only to then ride in a 4×4 for an additional 12-hours in order to reach the campsite. After reconciling some political challenges, the team still faced Nepal’s notoriously famous tough terrain. Moving the team from low-ground camps to high-altitude camps, coupled with 95-degree days with 100 percent humidity did not deter TEAM5 members from reaching out to as many patients as possible.
TEAM5 founder and team leader, Eric Linder, said, “TEAM5 is comprised of all volunteers. Members take their holiday vacations away from their families to help those less fortunate. This was, no doubt, a very challenging mission, both mentally and physically, but our team, created from several countries, including the USA, United Kingdom, Croatia, and Nepal, all worked seamlessly to provide advanced western care to those who would never have had the opportunity before.”
Tasmanian Tiger’s Silver Sponsorship supported TEAM5 through financial and product donations. The team relied on an assortment of TT Medical packs, the TT Mission Pack MK II, the larger TT Modular Gunner Packs, the TT Mission Pack MKII’s, and TT Transportation Bags. Included in the Tasmanian Tiger product donation were many of the smaller, yet just essential gear items, such as the TT Passport RFID B pouch.
Andreas Schechinger, CEO of Tatonka GmbH, added, “Our company fully supports the TEAM5’s selfless efforts to help people, who would not otherwise have an opportunity to receive this kind of western medical relief. Tasmanian Tiger has long held the belief that it is good business for a company to respect its employees, and provide for them a socially responsible, and sustainable environment in which to create, produce, and thrive, because, like TEAM5, Tasmanian Tiger believes it is good business to make the world a better place.”
“I would also like to thank our amazing sponsors from backpacks from Tasmanian Tiger, sleeping bags and clothing from SNUGPAK, uniforms from Massif, headlamps by US Elite, Lumidaid for their solar lights, WileyX for the sunglasses, Leatherman tools, The SPOT satellite communications, the Las Vegas Sands Corp, and for the medication and supplies, including the crash kits from Medaire/ISOS,” Linder added. “And finally, we are pleased to announce that we will be heading to the high mountains and jungles of Peru in September. With the full support of the Peruvian military, including logistics, air and ground support, we have been invited to live on a forward base, while we treat those indigenous who are located in the VRAEM. We look forward to your continuing support.”
Donations to TEAM5 Medical Foundation can be made here: https://www.team-5.org/donate.
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Nepal TEAM5 Members take a moment to capture themselves in Nepal. (Starting top row, l-r) Saskia Pia Muller (MD, Emergency Medicine), Bryan Vande Sand (HM, ST [USAF/USN Corpsman/Surgical Tech]), Christophe (local guide), Chris Duncan (MD Intensive Care), Ollie Neece (EMTP-CC, Critical Care and Rescue Paramedic). Bottom row: Laura Thomson (RN, Critical Care Nurse), Eric Linder (RMP, FAWM [Remote & Austere Medical Specialist]), and Burjour Langdana (DDS, Oral Surgery).