AIMS medical team led by Dr Dhar talks about visit
A member of the medical team from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, examines patients at Bandipora in Jammu & Kashmir. (Photo: DC)
KOCHI: As the winter season begins in North India, Dr Puneet Dhar who recently led a medical team from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), here, to the flood-hit Jammu & Kashmir is a worried man. Hailing from Srinagar, Dr Dhar knows how tough the winter will be to the lakhs who lost their houses and belongings in the natural calamity.
Talking to Deccan Chronicle at his cabin in the hospital, Dr Dhar, head of the gastrointestinal & HPB surgery department, however, paid rich tributes to the positive spirit of the Kashmiris in fighting the havoc. “Despite the losses, the people received us with warm smiles. Many of them invited us to their temporary tents to have tea and snacks,” he said.
The relief team which left for Srinagar on October 7 camped in Bandipora area which is closer to the Line of Control and a backward area for almost two weeks.
“Though Srinagar was the worst hit in the floods, we chose Bandipora as the people there are poorer,” he said.
The team was equipped with two ambulances having intensive care units, telemedicine facilities and several cartons of essential medicines. “Word spread fast and in no time we could see hundreds making a beeline to the medical camps. There were 14 doctors including one veterinary surgeon in the team. The district administration headed by a young collector was very helpful,” Dr Dhar recollected.
Dr Deepthi Sharma, a member of the team, even did a Caesarian section on a woman. Many people in the area were found to be suffering from gastroenteritis and eye infections. “Despite the trying conditions, it was a satisfying experience for each of us as we could provide psychological and emotional support to hundreds besides the medical care,” Dr Dhar said.
The Amritananadamayi Mutt, meanwhile, is planning to adopt a couple of devastated villages in J&K to rebuild them, Dr Dhar indicated. It already distributed around 3,000 blankets in the flood-affected areas. The team was also accompanied by Nijamrita Chaitanya Swami, head of the Amritanandamayi Mutt in New Delhi and Brahmachari Amrith.
( Source : dc )
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