Author: Pramod Kumar
Publication: The Organiser
Date: February 18, 2001
"We had the impression that the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are the
organisations launching movements only for temple construction. But the
relief work done by the volunteers of these organisations in earthquake
affected areas of Gujarat, has moved everyone", said Dr. Kamal Praval,
a senior orthopedic surgeon who was part of the doctors' team from Delhi
that visited the quake affected areas of Gujarat. The doctors were narrating
their experience to media persons in New Delhi after returning from Gujarat.
The general feeling in Gujarat is
that though the RSS and the VHP have done so much of relief work, the media
has probably not highlighted them adequately. They may have been ignored
deliberately, they added.
A team of 36 leading doctors of
Delhi equipped with all necessary equipments and medicines, left for the
quake affected areas of Gujarat on the very next day the deadly quake rocked
parts of Gujarat following a call from the Union Home Minister L.K. Advani.
The team led by former Health Minister of Delhi Dr. Harsh Vardhan included
senior surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, ENT surgeons, Gynecologists and Physicians.
Most of them were from private sector practicing in reputed hospitals of
the capital. The doctors had the equipments sufficient to create an operation
theater in a small tent.
According to Dr. Harsh Vardhan,
after reaching Ahmedabad on January 27 the team of doctors was told to
rush Patan, 145 km from Ahmedabad, where patients from different affected
areas were being shifted for immediate treatment. At that moment there
were over 800 patients. The patients were lying even on the floor of the
corridors, outside and inside the wards and outside the small dispensary.
"Within the next couple of days we were able to ensure medical aid to all
the patients and we also performed - over 250 surgical operations to save
the victims," Dr Harsh Vardhan said.
Simultaneously, a small group of
doctors with Dr Harsh Vardhan started visiting other places in the quake-affected
areas like Bachau, Anjar, Bhuj, etc. to locate other victims and to "establish
health cent" as well as to find out if more doctors or medicine were required.
But at all the places there was plenty of medical manpower. Apart from
Indian medicos, several international agencies were also providing medical
aid to the victims.
"The greatest thing that we saw
in Gujarat was that the nation responded quickly to the tragedy. I have
special appreciation and praise for the cadre of the RSS and the VHP for
their excellent services. They have set up an excellent example of self-less
service. We saw uniformed RSS swayamsevaks working outside and inside the
operation theaters, wards, etc. In Patan we also saw the women volunteers
of Rashtriya Sevika Samiti preparing the best quality meal for more than
three thousand people everyday. Even at this crisis moment whatever surgical
equipment or medicine was required, that was managed within minutes by
the RSS volunteers. It was just unimaginable. Though, the number of voluntary
organisations contributed in this tragedy, the leader in all thew were
the RSS and the VHP volunteers who very easily mobilised all help and that
too in most organised fashion,' said Dr. C. M. Bhagat, another member of
the team.
