Focus of Efforts:
Presently there are at least four (five?) teams from Bangalore working in Gujarat.
(1). The State government team, which also included doctors from St. John's and KIMS, now based at Patan District Hospital, which left on 28/1/2001 with a supplementary team on 29/01/2001 as well.
Contact in Bangalore:
Sanjay Kaul, Commissioner Health, Government of Karnataka, Tel: 2874039 Fax: 2285591 G.V. Nagaraj, Director, Health Services DH&FWS Telefax: 2870943 Mr. P.S. Bhagavan, Deputy Director Pharmacy DH&FWS Tel: (off.) 2873151 ext: 248; (Res.) 3492948
(2). John's Medical College teams which left on 29th January with Dr. Venkatesh (Biochemistry) as leader. They are based in Neelpar Ashram in Rapar.
Local Contacts in Bangalore are:
Dr. Sanjiv Lewin. Pager: 9628 807894. Mobile: 98452 16319 Email: lewin@vsnl.com Ms. Parveen Sikand : 98450 47739 Mobile Email: parveensikand@yahoo.com
(3). A team of doctors sent by IMA Bangalore on 29/01/2001. They are working in Bachau in coordination with Indian Medical Association, Ahmedabad.
Local Contact in Bangalore:
Dr. Ramesh S Billimagga
Fax: 2293862
Mobile: 9844093256
Email: bilimaga@vsnl.com
IMA Telefax: 6703255
(4). A team of doctors sent by Manipal Hospital, which left on 30/01/2001, also coordinated by Indian Medical Association, Ahmedabad. Their exact location is awaited.
Local Contact in Bangalore:
Dr. Jagdish Chinappa
Tel: 2218935
Mobile: 98450 29935
Email: jchin@vsnl.com
HAM contact numbers are awaited.
Needs Assessment
All these groups are awaiting more specific needs/supplies assessment from their respective teams so that relay teams organized by the same groups can begin to focus on specific needs of specific medical relief centres and camps.
More Teams / Volunteers?
The overall messages from various sources are that the local situation in Gujarat is, still somewhat chaotic, and no more medical teams or general volunteers are required to go in immediately. The suggestion we are giving to all the other institutions e.g. St Martha's Hospital, HOSMAT etc and to all individual medical/professional volunteers is to register their names and offers with all the above groups, so they could if required be members of future teams. We should focus on continuing relay effort in the area where 'Bangalore teams' are already working rather than spreading thin over too many places which would be difficult to support logistically.
Apparently there is now a need for Pharmacists to update inventories and sort supplies of all that has come in to the areas (according to Oxfam & Government.)
Medical Supplies
- The needs list being sent by different groups in Gujarat is both confusing and also changing day to day. Whatever lists have been received will be sent out to those who want to collect or offer donations.
- We are suggesting that all offers of medicines / medical supplies should be made to IMA and the above institutions that have sent teams so that medical supplies can reach specific groups of doctors through relay teams and not just lie around in airports, stations and temporary godowns unattended. Each institution will decide whether to receive the offer/donation and store at local site in Bangalore or just record offer and keep as list at their own institution.
- Probably the best approach is to have commitment of donations in cash for medical supplies, which institutions sending relay teams can access as and when these doctors based in Gujarat send 'wish lists' or 'urgent requests'.
- It is recommended that medicines supplied should be standardized and only the WHO Essential drug list allowed into the field. St. John's has modified the list. Contact them for a copy.
Orientation for Volunteers
i. It has been found from previous disaster responses that some initial short orientation for medical volunteers helps them to prepare for the experience both technically, emotionally and be aware of the medical, community health and psycho-social challenges that are expected in the field. Orientation can be for specific teams just before departure or even for potential volunteers to keep up their interest and preparedness.
ii. A brief orientation was done at rather short notice for the St. John's team and some doctors of the IMA team. St. John's will do their own training as and when their next teams form up.
iii. IMA has requested hat a more general and larger group - orientation session be held very soon since they have been inundated with offers and would like to keep up the motivation of the volunteers. The first such orientation is now scheduled, for Tuesday, 6th Feb, 2001 At IMA Hall from 2.00- 5.00 pm. All medical / paramedical volunteers are welcome. Institutions and organisations, which have a large number of volunteers, can also negotiate their own specific orientation programme in their organisation. All orientation requests are being handled by Community Health Cell in collaboration with resource persons from NIMHANS and other institutions. A list of resource persons and topics is being prepared.
iv. The citizens group also has smaller networks working on psychosocial support and Disability related issues. More details on these areas will follow.
Psychosocial Responses & Disability Issues
The citizen's group also has a smaller network working on psychosocial and disability related issues. For the present please contact the following all from NIMHANS for further details:
Dr. K.V. Kishore Kumar
Psychiatrist,
Tel: 6995250 (Off)
Email: kishore@nimhans.kar.nic.in
Dr. Srikala Bharath
Associate Professor, Dept. Psychiatry
Tel: 6995250 (Off)
Email: srikala@nimhans.kar.nic.in
Dr.K Sekar
Additional Professor of PSW
Tel: 6995234 (Off)
Email: k_sekar@ vsnl.net/ k_sekar@nimhans.ren.nic.in
Dr. Pruthvish
Action Aid India
Bangalore
Tel: 5586682 (Off)
Fax: 5586284
Email: prutvish@actionaidindia.org
Psychosocial Care In Disasters Manuals
NIMHANS has produced two manuals on Psychosocial care for Individuals
(No.1) and Psychosocial Care for Community Level Helpers (No.2). Though this was done for the super cyclone, it is being modified and translated into Gujarati and is being distributed to volunteers. Write to Action Aid's Books for Change, for copies, at bfcbgl@satyam.net.in or to the NIMHANS group.
This Manual will soon be available on a website.
Other Queries
For any other queries not covered by the above notes contact:
Community Health Cell-Bangalore.
Tel: 5531518
Fax:5525372
Email: sochara@vsnl.com
Community Health Team:
Dr. Ravi Narayan
S.J.Chander
Arjun Krishnan
Medical Relief Summary Contact Information
For Medical Volunteers & Offers of Medical Supplies Contact :
(1). Sanjay Kaul
Commissioner Health
Government of Karnataka
Tel: 2874039
Fax: 2285591
G.V. Nagaraj
Director, Health Services
DH&FWS
Telefax: 2870943
Mr. P.S. Bhagavan
Deputy Director Pharmacy
DH&FWS
Tel: (off.) 2873151 ext: 248;
(2). Dr. Sanjiv Lewin.
Pager: 9628 807894
Mobile: 98452 16319
Email: lewin @vsnl.com
Ms. Parveen Sikand : 98450 47739 Mobile
Email: parveensikand@yahoo.com
(3). Dr. Ramesh S Billimagga
Fax: 2293862
Mobile: 9844093256
Email: bilimaga@vsnl.com
Indian Medical Association:
Telefax: 6703255
(4). Dr. Jagdish Chinappa
Tel: 2218935
Mobile: 98450 29935
Email: jchin@vsnl.com
For Orientation for Volunteers and Community Health Inquiries contact:
Community Health Cell-Bangalore
Tel: 5531518
Fax:5525372
Email: sochara@vsnl.com
For Psychosocial Response / Disability Issues contact:
Dr. K.V. Kishore Kumar
Psychiatrist
Tel: 6995250 (Off)
Email: kishore@nimhans.kar.nic.in
Dr. Srikala Bharath
Associate Professor, Dept. Psychiatry
Tel: 6995250 (Off)
Email: srikala@nimhans.kar.nic.in
Dr.K Sekar
Additional Professor of PSW
Tel: 6995234 (Off)
Email: k_sekar@ vsnl.net/ k_sekar@nimhans.ren.nic.in
Dr. Pruthvish
Action Aid India- Bangalore
Tel: 5586682 (Off)
Fax: 5586284
Email: prutvish@actionaidindia.org
