Cuddalore, July 6, 2013: In a kind of a reciprocal gesture to mitigate the sufferings of those battered by natural calamities, the Cuddalore chapter of the Indian Medical Association has reached out to the victims of the flood-ravaged Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand through medical and financial assistance.

Already, the IMA has sent its spokesperson P. Elanthirayan to Rudraprayag to render health care services and to coordinate with the local medical team to access the required medicines.

IMA secretary T.A. Chandralathan told The Hindu that the request for medical personnel and medicines had come from the Medical Service Centre, a socio-medical voluntary organisation based in Kolkata.

Dr. Chandralathan stated that the Cuddalore chapter of the IMA had sent Rs. 1 lakh to the Centre to mete out the expenses on medicines.

“Since, it would take some time for the flood ravaged roads on tough hilly terrains to get repaired, the IMA has deemed it fit to send the demand draft to the Centre so the latter could locally procure the medicines,” he said.

Before leaving for Rudraprayag, Dr. Elanthirayan told this correspondent that in fact the Kolkata Centre had sent the request to the Cuddalore IMA to deploy a medical team to Rudraprayag that would serve as a base camp. From there, the medical personnel would spread out to other areas.

However, as there was an urgent need to attend on patients afflicted with various ailments, arising out of inclement weather, exposure to rain and floods and starvation, he was rushing to join the Kolkata team.

Dr. Elanthirayan said that it was a sort of an exchange visit to maintain the good will between the Kolkata Centre and the Cuddalore IMA.

He recalled that when Tamil Nadu bore the brunt of the tsunami and the Cuddalore district was torn apart by Cyclone Thane, the Kolkata Centre had immediately deployed a medical team to the affected areas to screen the residents for ailments and to render necessary assistance.

Dr. Elanthirayan further stated that given the nature of the undulating terrain in Uttarakhand and the scattered nature of the people it would not brook any delay to reach out health care services to them.

It was a common experience that after the floods recede, there would be a possibility of outbreak of waterborne diseases.

He would assess the situation and get in touch with the Cuddalore IMA to mobilise the kind of support needed.

Dr. Chandralathan also noted that he was in constant touch with the State IMA to know about the logistics required to be dispatched to Rudraprayag.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 6, 2013.