Report of Cyclone Relief work by first 2 groups by Dr. Padmini Urs

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Title: Report of Cyclone Relief work by first 2 groups by Dr. Padmini Urs
extracted text: REPORT OF THE UORK DOME BY THE II HEDICAL TEAH; by DR.(HRS) PADIMI HI URS
L( t

i : i T I.

II.

We took over °rom the I team on 13th Dec ’77 night and started
working from 14th Dec.’77.

The tables appended
ppended hereby (day to day statistics) and the
graphs show the number of cases treated in various centres.

The earlier team had started i Clinic at the base camp and one
at Mandapakala.
As the tidal wave had hit a vast area, the II team
decided to start a few more centres
The Mandapakala centre w-j;-.- reorganised and 2 Doctors and 2 Nurses lived
--- in that centre to serve
round the clock.
Tliis centre c o v e red more than 6 to 7 villages.

Another centre was opened at POTTUIMEDDA and this covered another
7 villages.
As GEORGEPETTA consisted of a few inhabitants, who started
coming back, tho services rendered were greater at Pottumedda.

In addition, to those tho
■'
----‘
‘
ROVING TEAM, consisting
1 doctor, 1
nurse and 1 helper wont on foot from hamlet to hamlet,, taking medical aid to the houses”
The Medical Service was orientated in THREE ways :
1 .
2.
3.

Preventive
Curative and
Imparting Health Education

We carried out TAOC innoculation in interior hamlets y including
TETVAC innoculations at times. The Fly population
‘
became a great
problem and wo had to drain off the stagnant water and helped the
villages to keep the surroundings clean and also sprayed bleaching
powder and lime around the villages.
The curative aspect showed initially a high incidence of Respiratcry infections,
This was due to lack of shelter, exposure to
cold, dust and fumes
This aspect was stressed in the meeting hold
on 17.12.’77 midnight at AVANIGADDA hospital and a plea for the
construction of huts immediately was sought.
As this was being done
and because of thu increase in the fly mcnanco the incidence of
DIARRHOEA AND DY3ENTERTIES went up.
The District Medical Officer
and the Rural Development Officer were briefed regarding this and
they were very co-operative and helpful. They provided us with
bloecning powder, D.D.T,, and limo and other accessories and sent
tho fly killing squad. They personally came to inspect tho villages
th,nt were covering and assured us all help.
III.

In the above meeting, it was felt that there is an urgent need
of training the village girls (who have basic education) in
Ijosic Health Education (bare foot doctor?)
We were also teaching the villagers regarding how best to clean
the water for drinking purposes, that the boro-well water
through the pipe is not a pure one and little babies to be
given boiled - colled water, etc.
etc
We advised them regarding
Breast-Feedingo

As most of the villagers had lost some tkith and kin or other,
we had to look after their mental health.. also,
_1~~.
Most of thorn
wore in shock, dazed or in great depression.
Many of them
wanted a sympathetic ear to listen to.
More then drugs, this
is what helped them most,
As we opened more centres and stayed
on the spot day and night, the villagers camo and told our '"cm
members, that if it was not for them , they would not have come
to those villages.

2-

IV.

un
The relief work was almost 75% complete and is still going
Hence
these
centres
and plans for rehabilitations have started,
of the future
that we have started could well form the
t..- nucleus
.Primary Health Centre in the respective villages.
In this regard, I take this opportunity of thanking the
the occassion and sufi’iiod
Officers of Avanigadda, who raised to
and
when we asked for thorn,
us with fantastic amount of drugs as
Hence wo were in a position to leave enough of medicines fox
another 2 or 3 weeks to be used by the next team.
Our tsam has been interviewed by the All
utr^’intlrv^nued’
regarding the work carried out by us.
Also we were intoiv.
by one ’Ladies’ magazine - probably Femina.
Ue were relieved by the III Team on 28.12. ’77.

The Team acknowledges with gratitude the opportunity given by
It? John’s Medical College Cyclone Relief ^^xsation and ihe
Catholic Relief Organisation to serve those people in ultex

distress.

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