Bangladesh Cyclone Disaster – Relief by CHC · Community Health

Bangladesh Cyclone Disaster – Relief by CHC

Item

Title: Bangladesh Cyclone Disaster – Relief by CHC
extracted text: 3COMMUNITY

HEALTH

326, V Main, I Block,
Koramangala,
Bangalore - 560 034.
Phone : 53 15 18

CELL

BANGLADESH

CYCLONE

DISASTER

RELIEF

A third informal meeting of concerned individuals and organizations
of
Bangalore was held in the context of a ’Bangalore response’
to the above
disaster.
Date
Time
Venue
List of
Participants

J

19th May 1991
10.30 a.m. - l>00 p.m.
Ashirvad, 30, St. Mark’s Road, Bangalore - 560 001.
(Refer Appendix)

This meeting was primarily an orientation programme
r---on Disaster Relief
focussing on preparation of the first team that
- were expected to leave
by the end of the week (25.05.1991),
The meeting started with a minute silence for the victims
of the
Bangladesh Cyclone Disaster followed by a short introduction by Dr. Ravi
Narayan of Community Health Cell about the plan/framework of the meeting.

Dr. p.n. Pandit (Ex Professor of Surgery - St. John’s Medical College and
M.S. Ramaiah Medical College), rpresented a very graphic and informative
report about the experiences of the
-* first team from St. John’s Medical
College who responded to the Andhra Cyclone Disaster in 1978. He covered
all aspects of their experiences and outlined some basic steps for the
planning and organization of such relief work. The slide presentation
was very effective and a good learning experience for all those who were
present.
Dr. Ravi Narayan, Coordinator of Community Health Cell, supplemented the
above presentation with lessons from experience of the St. John’s team
that responded to the Bangladesh crisis and refugee camps in July 1971.
Mr. Sam Joseph of Action Aid, who had just returned from Bangladesh
presented a short resume of the situation there including some useful
tips to the volunteers to adapt to the local culture and situation.
Dr. Thelma Narayan of Community Health Cell presented a short review of
the newspaper reports (till 17.05.91) about the present disaster highligh
ting various aspects of the continuing tragedy.

• •2

I

3.

2. The first relief team headed by Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur (Community
Health Cell) consisting of Dr. Sanjiv Lewin (St. John’s Medical

College), Dr. Anne Rego (Emmaus Swiss Hospital, Palmaner),
Mr. A. Anand Kumar (Community Health Cell), Ms. Beatrice (Service
Civil International), Mr. S.J. Chander (St. Martha’s Hospital) and

Ms. Mohini N.E. Ajagarni (St. Martha’s Hospital) left on 25th

May, 1991.
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*rnk/rn

APPENDIX

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Miss. Dominique Legrie, Ms. Krpa, Mr. Prabhu Deva, Mr. Ramachandran,
Mr. M. Mohamed Usman, Ms. Valli Seshan, Mr. Antony Das, Ms. Shobha Ravi,
Ms. Maria Shyamala, Mr. R. Shantha Kumar of Service Civil International,

Bangalore.

Dr. Kenneth D’Cruz, Mr. M. Ravindran, Mr. Pratap Patrick Paikaray,
Ms. Anne Rego, Mr. Liesl Pais, Mr, Sanjiv Lewin, Mr. Vikram Prabhu,

of St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore.
Mr. S.J. Chander, Mr. Lawrence, Ms. Joji Zavier, Sr. Clement,
Dr. Begum Rawosf, Sr. Mercy Abraham and Sr. Elise Mootheelom of
St. Martha’s Hospital, Bangalore.

Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur, Dr. Ravi Narayan, Dr. Thelma Narayan,

Mr. S. John Clarence, Mr. A. Anand Kumar, Mr. V.N. Nagaraja Rao
and Mr. M. Kumar of Community Health Cell, Bangalore.

Fr. Claude D’Souza, Sr. Rose, Sr. Rojamani and Sr. Begina Mary? of

Ashirvad, Bangalore.
Dr. Mohan Isaac of NIMHANS-Bangalore, Dr. P.N. Pandit & Ms.Namrata Pandit,
Dr. Sam Joseph of Action Aid-Bangalore, Fr. Leonard of Father’s of Holy Cross
Bangalore, Mrs. Jean Rego and Mr. R. Murugan.

2.

Ms. Valli Seshan of Service Civil International presented thfe salient
feature about the current plans of SCI to support the first team of
relief workers from Bangalore.
Dr. Mohan K. Isaac, Associate Professor of National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro Sciences, presented an overview on handling of the
psycho-social/mental health aspects during disaster relief work. He
drew lessons from the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and the Venus Circus Fire
Tragedy.

This was followed by a question answer session by participants. Various
questions about the current disaster in the context of being volunteers
were raised.
Certain other issues were brought out by Dr. Thelma Narayan based on
her experience of Andhra Cyclone Relief Work in 1978 and Krpa of
Service Civil International based on her visit to Bangladesh in recent
years.

It was decided that all potential volunteers should be in touch with
the following people so that their participation in future teams could
be coordinated as requests/support from organizations came in.
Ms. Krpa - Service Civil International (Tel. No. 359583)
Mr. Kumar - Community Health Cell (Tel. No. 531518)
Fr. Claude D’Souza - Ashirvad (Tel. No. 210154)
Sr. Mercy - St. Martha's Hospital - School of Nursing (for volunteers
from St. Martha's Hospital) (Tel. No. 215081)
& Dr. Kenneth D'Cruz - St. John's Medical College (for volunteers from
St. John's) (Tel. No. 530724 - Dept, of Surgery)
The meeting was concluded by thanks to all the organizations and
individuals who had participated in it.

It was followed by a meeting of the first team at which Dr. Shirdi
Prasad Tekur of Community Health Cell and Mr. Chandru of Service Civil
International clarified various issues and formalities to be completed
before the team leaves for Dacca via Calcutta by the end of the week.

FOLLOW-UP
1. The first advance party consisting of Ms. Valli Seshan of Service
Civil International and Mr. Kabir Jaithirtha left as an advance
team to Bangladesh on Tuesday 21st May, 1991.

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