A massive earthquake, measuring + on the Richter scale hit Gujarat on 26th January, 2001 at 8.53 A.M. Over 20,000 lives were lost and the loss to property was immense. The relief teams came to Kutch from all directions, from distant lands, in all shapes and sizes. They came with their own agenda but sans equipment. But there was one piece of equipment that everyone brought along - their own banner. They rushed in towards the epicenter as the victims rushed out. The German, Swedish and Russian teams came with infrared sensors and sniffer dogs, to locate survivors in the rubble. Most of the Indian rescue teams arrived unmindful of the local infrastructure and sensitivities. There was need for X-Ray machines, operation theatres and external fixators...but no electricity, water or communication. Most were shunted, were told they were unwanted and made to feel redundant.

Despite media reports to the contrary, the government doctors who in peacetime conditions, barely have funds to cover the running costs of the district level hospitals, rose to the occasion and put in extraordinary work. They spoke the language, knew the terrain and worked non-stop. They performed the all important work of triage to transfer the serious to higher centers and gave primary treatment to the less wounded. By the time most of the rescue teams arrived on day 2, the victims were all sorted or out of there. The day time earthquake had claimed more women and children, than men. The transferred patients were all orthopaedic and spinal cases. Most head and chest injuries didn't make it to the secondary referral centers.

In such situations, there is a greater need for paramedics and primary doctors. Most specialists are so technology dependent these days that they cannot function in anything less than an ivory tower setting. India does not have a disaster management strategy to coordinate catastrophes of such a magnitude. Also, Indian doctors are unable to get into the 'Kibbutz' mode of work, where everyone puts in their share of manual labour irrespective of education and rank. If we want any of the Indian rescue teams to win the Nobel Prize like the 'Médecins Sans Frontières', we would be
the team practicing medicine sans the banner.