13 Sep 2008, Bowanipur, Bihar

The past two days we were busy getting the temporary shelters in place, and being a totally new place it took some time to get familiarized with the local working style, speed etc.  Two shelters of around 4000sqft have been completed. Work is going on to get the kitchen and the toilets completed. Work has also started on a third shelter. During the day there were heavy showers and so the work had to be stopped for some time.

As far as we know ours is the first organization to put up such temporary shelters within this short period. Though the govt. has huge camps, they are all in tents provided by the armed forces. Normally our shelters are made on steel structures, but here since bamboo was available in plenty and as the duration of the camps was not expected to go beyond six months, it was used to make the structure for the shelters. It also provided some employment to the locals.

We also visited a new place Rupoli, about 8kms away from Bowanipur where there were several camps being run by the govt. in schools and decided to send the medical team there on Sunday. We have to keep visiting new places to seek out people who are really in need to make the best use of our resources. Unfortunately four children had died of Diarrhea in Banwanki and so the authorities wanted our medical team to visit those camps and serve the people there. So for the past two – three days our doctors have visited these camps and treated the patients there. They have also readily accepted the request of the authorities to visit these camps as and when required. But the area is so vast that it is difficult for even the govt to reach out to all corners.

The ambulances which are being brought by a dedicated engine provided by the railways have left Cochin 4 days ago and should have been here by now, but for some unknown reason the train seems to be moving very slowly and so the doctors who were traveling with the ambulance detrained and have taken a direct train to Patna. The railway authorities say that the height of the telemedicine ambulance being above the normal permissible limits, the train can move only at 10 kms speed whenever it crosses an overhead flyover or an underpass.

Once the other team of doctors and Paramedics along with the ambulances arrives, our total strength of medical personnel here would go up to 20 and they may be able to split into two teams, travel in different directions and reach out to more flood affected victims. The locals are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the ambulances as they have heard a lot about the diagnostic equipment fitted in these.

– Sadasiva Chaitanya