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St.
John’s Disaster Relief Team in the Nicobars
Bangalore and Future Efforts -
Beyond Relief….Rehabilitation
On
arrival, the Coordinating team at our base at St. John's Medical
College Hospital, Bangalore, headed by the Director Rev Dr.
Thomas Kalam, Dean Dr. Prem Pais, Chief of Medical Services
Dr. Mary Ollapally and Team Coordinators Dr. Kanishka Das
sat down with us and it is decided that we need to know plan
long term assistance to enable rehabilitation. We have decided
on the following potential areas of long-term service as a
part of rehabilitation:
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i.
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Acceptance of the WHO offer to set up a Six-month Disease
Surveillance Cell for the Nicobars (our area of operation
and rapport) under the efforts of Dr. Arvind Kasturi Community
Health, St. John's
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ii.
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Initiation
of a felt need to provide tertiary care nearer home through
the formation of a satellite hospital at Port Blair providing
periodic tertiary level consults and even interventions
at least once a month linked to areas of work.
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iii.
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Discussions
to consider the feasibility of posting interns every month
for a year in rotation for duties on areas most affected.
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iv.
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Discussions
to rapidly raise resources through the Friends of St.
John's and their children to assist in the equipment of
schools destroyed especially on Katchal Island.
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v.
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A
potential dream to resurrect Teressa Island by adopting
it through our sponsors - St. John's, Care Today, Friends
of St. John's.
To enable this our third team is to return lead by Dr.
Marian Kamath (Friends of St. John's) and with four of
us to Port Blair on the 11th January 2005 to
decide/finalize on the spot plans for long term interventions
as discussed above. This team is already touring the affected
areas of coastal Tamil Nadu to meet us at Chennai and
fly out together. |
We
have all returned with a degree of satisfaction of a job well
done, at the right time and at the right place an are forever
grateful for all those who supported our work…. there
are so many numerous unsung heroes back home and on the islands
that we just cannot always remember but will do so whenever
possible. It is not important who did what or who did more…but
that a team went in and performed as well as it could under
circumstances no one else can even comprehend. Without each
other not one team member could have assisted in this effort
and fulfill a task set out for us. We cannot but thank all
our families, our institution and all our supporters especially
our sponsors for their prayers and unconditional support to
enable us to achieve the degree of care and support we could
extend to people in need. Let there be no illusions that this
was purely altruistic for deep in our hearts and minds we
have gained!
| As
on 6th January 2005 |
Kamorta
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Teressa
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Katchal
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| Food |
Regular
(Rice, dhal, oil, fuel - island coconuts, bananas) |
Regular
(Rice, dhal, oil, fuel - island coconuts, bananas) |
Regular
(Rice, dhal, oil, fuel - island coconuts, bananas) |
| Water |
Regular
(including island sources) |
Regular
(including island sources) |
Regular
(including island sources) |
| Shelter |
Partially
adequate (Tents, tarpaulins) |
Partially
adequate (Tents, tarpaulins) |
Partially
adequate (Tents, tarpaulins) |
| Power |
Restored |
Partially
restored (ingenious repairs of gen sets, drops of additional
gen sets) |
Partially
restored (drops of additional gen sets) |
| Communications |
Restored
(Earth station, Satellite phones, police wireless, paramilitary-military) |
Partially
restored (Satellite phones, police wireless, paramilitary-military)
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Partially
restored (Satellite phones, police wireless, paramilitary-military) |
| Medical
supplies |
In
excess |
In
excess |
In
excess |
| Medical
Manpower |
Adequate |
Adequate |
Adequate |
| Epidemics |
NIL |
NIL |
NIL |
| Carcass
disposal |
Completed |
Partially
completed |
Partially
completed |
| Inter-island
Transportation |
Urgently
needed |
Urgently
needed |
Urgently
needed |
| Needs |
Out
board boats
Tents/tarpaulins
Clothes
Psychological support |
Out
board boats
Tents/tarpaulins
Clothes
Psychological support |
Out
board boats
Tents/tarpaulins
Clothes
Psychological support |
| Medical
Surveillance/Feedback |
Inadequate |
Inadequate |
Inadequate |
| Morbidity
pattern |
Children
Respiratory illnesses
Injuries - major and minor
Skin infections |
Children
Respiratory illnesses
Injuries - major and minor
Skin infections |
Children
Respiratory illnesses
Injuries - major and minor
Skin infections |
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| Needs |
Specifics
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Comments
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| Shelter |
Tents/tarpaulins
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Protection
against rain and wind and other elements |
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Building
material for permanent dwellings |
Tin/aluminum
corrugated sheets, tools for work, wood |
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Clothes
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T-shirts
for both men and women, preferably those with Soccer teams
on them!, Blouses for women, Short pants for men, continuously
stitched lungies - pretty designs, colours to be used
like sarongs. Remember to have similar stuff for children. |
| Food |
Milk
powder |
Partially
restored (ingenious repairs of gen sets, drops of additional
gen sets) |
| Sanitation |
Soap
- lifebuoy
Bleaching powder |
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| Transportation |
Outboard
boats
Scheduled north-south-north vessels |
Inter-island
transport |
| Rehabilitation |
Hindi,
English, Nicobari speaking HCP/Counselors |
NIMHANS
trained |
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Footballs
with air pumps |
They
love football, sons named Ronaldo! |
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Educational
material and teachers |
Schools |
| Medical
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Disease
surveillance and periodic reporting |
To
monitor and have a continued needs assessment |
| Local
Monitoring |
Monitor
problems, needs and distribution |
The
tribals never demand and quietly go on with their lives.
Distribution must be monitored locally with feedback direct
to the military command in charge of relief. |
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TEAM
MEMBERS:
1. Ms Parveen Sikand, Friend of St. John's
2. Dr. Kanishka Das, Paediatric Surgeon
3. Mr. Ravi Shankar, Pharmacist
4. Ms Janaki, Pharmacist
5. Ms Suma Natarajan, Neurosurgery Nurse
6. Ms Sheela Shalini D'Souza, Emergency Medicine Nurse
7. Dr. Kiran Naik, Emergency Medicine Fellow
8. Dr. Aril Antony, Anesthesiology Fellow
9. Dr. Mallipatna C. Ashwin, Ophthalmology Fellow
10. Dr. Antony Robert, Paediatric Surgeon
11. Dr. Sanjiv Lewin, Paediatrician
12. Sr. Cini M. John, Paediatric Nurse
13. Ms Belveera D'Souza, Nurse
14. Ms Linimol Thomas, Nurse
15. Ms Asha Wilma Corda, Nurse
16. Ms N.S. Arogya Mary, Nurse
17. Dr. Vimal Raj, Orthopaedic Fellow
18. Dr. Marian Kamath, Friend of St. John's
Tsunami
Home
Mr.
Ajit Chaudhuri, Executive Director & Ms.Skalzang Youdon, Programme
Officer
ajitc@intoday.com
Care
Today Fund, F14/15 Connaught Place, New Delhi 110 001, India
Telephone: 011 2331214 (direct) 011 23315801/2/3/4 Extn.287
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