9/6/20
The organisers were Ex- students’ group of RKMV, Purulia as primary organizer and fund-raiser with help from Contai Ramkrishna মission and Aradhana group from Durgapur for general relief, and West Bengal Doctors’ Forum & Shramajibi Swasthya Udyog for মedical relief, and Ramkrishna ashram Khejuri withDr. Asit Khatua as local organiser of medical camp.
The venue for primary relief were villages served by Contai Ramkrishna mission in Khejuri.
General relief was done by Mr Rana Sengupta from 1983 batch, who distributed 20 tarpaulin to families of Mahishadal, as a part of their 83 batch relief activities. Mr Subhodeep Das from 2004 batch as representative of RKMVP ex students and Aradhana from Durgapur has distributed the general relief in Contai Ramkrishna mission.
The General releif material included food grains, sanitary napkins, baby foods, clothes, tarpaulins, bleaching powder etc.
The venues of medical camps were Koshtola and Lakshmanchak, Khejuri, East Midnapore.
The population was noted to be mostly Hindu. The habitat was noted as complete brick house, brick house covered by asbestos, mud house.
Source of income are noted as follows –
- Wage labourer in agriculture
- Worker in brick clan
- Fishing
- Van- Rikshaw puller, porter
- Local small business owners
- MNREGA – regular
- Migrant labourers in other areas of India
Due to lockdown, most of them are back to their own villages without any income currently, number approximately 500-1000/village
Economic strata are noted as follows
- Mostly lower- socioeconomic status (wage labourer, fishermen, van Rikshaw puller, porter, boatmen etc.)
- Few middle class ( local small business owners, people working in large cities, office job holders)
- Upper middle class (,brick clan owners,land owners, large businesses owners)
Source of food are primarily grown in village, rest by importing from outside.Ration distribution through PDS is available.
Education is provided by government College, government sponsored higher secondary school, government sponsored primary school, Anganwadi centres.
Healthcare is provided by government PHC at Khejuri with referral center at Contai SD hospital – impression – people are happy with the services rendered
The sources of drinking water are tubewells and deep tubewells with prior permission from Government.
Communication is maintained by roads, which are paved roads made under PMGSY and by PWD.
Response to cyclone as noted – People were warned beforehand about the cyclone. Vulnerable population was given shelter in dedicated disaster shelter house (10-12 in number in this area) and school buildings.
For medical camps- Medicines were acquired from CDMU with help from Dr. Punyabrata Goon, given by WBDF and Shramajibi Swasthya Udyog.
The Team –
Doctors –
Dr Suranjan Maitra Batch 2001
Dr Sonia Bandyopadhyay
Dr Manujesh Bandyopadhyay Batch 2001 and another doctor.
Medicine distribution and record keeping by –
Mr Rana Sengupta Batch 1983
Mr Amitabha Chakrabarti Batch 2001
Mr Debodip Das
Mr Rony Chowdhury Batch 1999
Observations in Medical Camp are as followed –
- Total 156 patients seen
- maximum number of people were complaining of pain in limbs and generalised body ache due to overwork related to overcome the recent devastating effect from Amphan.
- Lot of other people were having skin related issues, most commonly ” Dhobie’s itch” / “Haza” i,e fungal infection of feet, and also hands, due to continuous exposure to dirty water. Many cases with pityriasis. Scabies were also found.
- Allergic problems were common.
- Cough and common cold was very common findings.
- But no patients had symptoms related to suspected COVID 19.2 patients has reported with fever and was promptly sent to the nearest hospital Fever clinic.
- Surprisingly no Enteric infection were encountered, probably due to the availability of drinking water at that place and also due to people’s awareness.
- But complaints suggestive of gastritis was frequent.
- A few of people had anemia and problems related to that, mostly middle aged women.
- Few patients had chronic non communicable disease under treatment,and there was problem related to getting medicine due to lockdown.
- Few patients presented with surgical problems, where surgery is delayed due to lockdown,even after being planned.
- Many children presented with features suggestive of worm infestation. As per history given by their parents, regular deworming is done by distribution of Albendazole tablets from school, which they could not collect this summer due to lockdown issue.
- One patient, at LaxmanChak, showed signs suggestive of Laryngeal cancer ; his relatives were informed about that and was advised to attend nearest Medical college, I.e, Midnapur Medical College for necessary treatment.
- One patient, at Kashtala, was found to have symptoms and signs suggestive of Thyroid Cancer and accordingly family members were informed and was advised to attend Contai SDH.
- Over all nutritional status was better than expected for both adult and children.
Effect of Amphan as noted are the following –
- Wastage of crops, mainly paddy and betel leaf
- major waterlogging didn’t happen.
- Lots of large trees uprooted.
- Few mud houses has been totally damaged. Asbestos Roof of few pucca houses got damaged due to cyclone and by uprooted trees.
