8 September 2008 — AIMS Hospital, Cochin, Kerala
The current situation is one of mobilization. Inspired to act by Amma, students, ashramites and medical staff at AIMS are working around the clock in order to bring relief to the millions of Biharis, who have been rendered homeless and helpless due to the state’s massive flooding.
At AIMS Hospital in Cochin, medical students, staff and doctors have donated 500 good sets of clothing and more is coming in all the time. A group of 10 students spent last night sorting and packing the clothing and medicine. One of the medial student, who is doing his internship said “ we all want to go to Bihar to assist further with the relief work”.
AIMS hospital is sending a lot of medicine, which includes 20,000 painkiller tablets, 10,000 units of blood-pressure medicine and 150 litres of cough syrup. In response to request by the Ashram-doctors already in Bihar, AIMS is also sending medicines to fight instances of fungus, skin infections and scabies.
Along with the medicines, an ambulance and EMT [Emergency Medical Technician] team is being sent, as well as AIMS’ Mobile Tele-Medicine Unit.
The ambulance is fully equipped with defibrillator, monitors, ventilators, syringe pump, infusion pump and pulse-oximetre.
The Mobile Tele-Medicine Unit has an ECG [electro-cardio-gram], X-ray machine and pathology and bio-chemistry labs. Radiology and lab technicians will also being sent. Furthermore, the Unit has the capability to send ultra-sound echo doppler images through satellite to AIMS, so that the entire pool of specialty doctors at AIMS can be consulted when necessary. The satellite connection is being provided through ISRO [Indian Space Research Organization].
“In addition we are carrying defibrillator, ECG, patient monitor, ventillator, syringe pump, infusion pumps, pulse oximeter. we are prepared to set up an entire general hospital and Intensive Care Unit,” says Dr. Raghavendra, a brahmachari serving at AIMS.
Everything is ready to go tomorrow via a special emergency train from Cochin to Patna with four coaches—two for the van one for relief materials and one for 40 volunteers which includes a team of construction workers to build temporary sheds there.
—Tulasi