Senators’ Statements: Celebrating GlobalMedic’s Work Around the World

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Colleagues, I rise today to pay tribute to the hundreds of paramedics, firefighters, police officers, doctors and nurses who spring into action when disaster strikes anywhere in the world, be it the disaster of the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia in 2018, the floods in Trinidad and Tobago in 2017, or the ongoing disasters in Syrian cities, towns and villages.

As we know, when disaster strikes, the response must be rapid to save lives, both here and overseas. The key word here is “rapid.” It is no wonder, then, that it is a paramedic who has sprung into action to create a unique and high-impact Canadian response, including an internationally deployable rapid response team.

GlobalMedic is a Canadian charity founded by Mr. Rahul Singh, a Toronto paramedic who has been named by Time magazine to its 2010 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. GlobalMedic is often the first team and many times the only team to get critical interventions to people in time in threatening situations following disasters. GlobalMedic has led 198 missions in 68 countries in the 10 short years of its life.

Today, Mr. Singh, founder and Executive Director of GlobalMedic, is in Ottawa and in Parliament, and we have volunteered to help pack boxes of products for Indigenous shelters to be distributed around the country. I packed such a box today and met Ms. Julie Colgan, who is a team leader at GlobalMedic. She has been a paramedic team leader for 14 years at GlobalMedic. She has led rapid deployment teams to Pakistan, Iraq, Philippines and Nepal, and every time she does that, she goes on unpaid leave.

I hope you will join me in commending these outstanding volunteers for the work they do for Canada and indeed for humanity.