Medical Service Centre (MSC), an All India voluntary organization of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and health activists is known for its being by the side of the people devastated by natural calamities or any other disaster. When Uttarakhand and then Kashmir were ravaged by torrential rain, flood and landslide, MSC volunteers rushed there in no time overcoming all difficulties and hassles, opened free medical camps and provided healthcare to the affected people. These camps ran for several months. Eminent doctors from all over India attended such camps.
So, when Nepal was rocked by severe earthquake which besides taking a heavy toll of precious human lives also caused grievous injury to many and extensive damage to property, MSC lost no time in sending medical teams there with logistic support from SUCI(C). The pilot team of 8 members led by Dr. Sushovan Ghosh started free medical camp from 9 May. A second team of 9 members led by Dr. Ansuman Mitra arrived and started work on 13 May. A third team led by Dr. Swapan Biswas will reach on 16 May. The MSC medical teams will continue to work at different camps in the days to come. Already more than 1000 patients have received medical care from these camps at Sena Chhauni, Swayambhu, Chapagaon, Char Ghara, Lalitpur, Ranipawa, Nunakot, Tinghara and Ramkot areas of Kathmandu and its adjoining areas. MSC also took initial help from Comrade Gharti, Vice-Chairman of Constituent Assembly and Member, Central Committee, Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Subse-quently, the camps are being run with the help of UCPN (Maoist) volunteers and local people.
SUCI(C) takes prompt initiative for relief work for Nepal earthquake victims : people respond wholeheartedly
Once again hapless people had to succumb to the nature’s fury. The Himalayan state of Nepal and a vast stretch of neighboring north India were rocked by severe earthquake including repeated aftershocks. The devastating earthquake wreaked havoc in terms of destruction of human lives and property. Soon it was known how pathetically the roaring tourist spots, traditional build-ups in cities and towns were ravaged; lesser known was the fate of numbers of small villages of poor Nepalese people on the hills. Those were simply brushed off from the map as landslides swept down everything there. What remained were stenches of corpses, wails and cry, vacant helpless looks of the victims. Media were prompt to report that tourist spots could soon regain their normalcy; efforts were all afoot for reconstructing this traditionally beautiful land. But the most enormous task lay in giving the minimum help and solace to those left in the hinterland.
Immediately after the devastation had taken place, our Party SUCI(C) mobilized its resources, at hand or mustered hurriedly, from cities-towns to places where there was some workable organization linked with us. Extensive collection of relief materials were promptly dispatched to the affected areas, the Party workers, supporters and sympathizers stepping out to act as volunteers to carry and distribute those. In phases, first on 4 May, then on 8 May batches of volunteers moved to affected areas in north Bihar and Nepal. Medical Service Centre (MSC), a voluntary organization of doctors, nursing staff, health employees and activists, as alert this time as in the case of earlier natural calamities to offer relief and service to the affected, started work in the Gorkha region of Nepal. Another team comprising seven of their members opened a relief camp at Raxaul and Sitamarahi in Bihar.
The redeeming feature for the relief workers as well as the victims, to be found amidst this heart-breaking devastation was people’s response. Unhesitating help and cooperation were met with everywhere, though certainly it fell far short of requirement considering the intensity and spread of damage and ruination. Shelter, food and medical treatment including measures to stall and fight any possible outbreak of epidemic from lack of sanitation and decomposition of dead bodies still under debris: all these were urgently required. Our Party hopes that despite their thousand and one wrenching problems, people will not fail to rise to the occasion to shoulder the task of relief and rehabilitation of the helpless earthquake victims.
