Kerala floods: Maharashtra doctors attend to 12,000 patients in 100 relief camps

The team includes general physicians, gynaecologists, paediatricians, ENT doctors, surgeons and preventive social medicine specialists. They carried three trucks of medicines, including antibiotics, intravenous fluids, painkillers, multi-vitamins and prophylactic drugs.

The team of doctors carried three trucks of medicines, including antibiotics, intravenous fluids, painkillers, multi-vitamins and prophylactic drugs. (PTI/Image used for representational purpose only)

Since a medical team of 100 members from Maharashtra left for Kerala last week to provide aid to flood-affected people, at least 12,000 patients have been tended to at 100 relief camps. For the past three days, the doctors are going door-to-door in an attempt to reach those who cannot visit the camps.

On August 20, a team of 55 doctors from JJ hospital and 26 doctors from Pune’s Sassoon hospital, along with 14 paramedics and other officials left for Thiruvananthapuram. They carried three trucks of medicines, including antibiotics, intravenous fluids, painkillers, multi-vitamins and prophylactic drugs.

On Saturday, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collected medicines worth Rs 40 lakh — donations from chemists and pharmaceutical companies — to send to Kerala. According to D R Gahane, holding charge of the joint commissioner (drugs), FDA, Mumbai, most medicines were antibiotics.

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“A lot of chemists came forward to make voluntary contributions. Under Minister Girish Bapat, we decided to help supply medicines, as infections will now be on the rise in Kerala,” said S S Mohite, FDA joint commissioner (intelligence).

A donation drive at a mall in Mumbai. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

Dr Arshad Khan, the chief camp coordinator for Maharashtra government, who reached Alleppey from Ernakulam last Saturday, said: “Most cases are of fever, fungal infections on hand and feet, and wounds on limbs. We anticipate cases of water-borne diseases in the two-three weeks. As precaution, prophylactic medicines, mostly Doxycycline, are being distributed.”

The team members have been divided in groups of 25 each to work in Alleppey, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts. On the first day of the camp, around 2,600 patients had been screened. On the second day, 2,000 patients were treated.

The team includes general physicians, gynaecologists, paediatricians, ENT doctors, surgeons and preventive social medicine specialists. “In 50 per cent of the areas where we are camping, the water has receded. In some areas, we have to wade through water to reach the patients. In Alleppey, there are still some areas that are flooded,” said Khan. The doctors realised that senior citizens and physically challenged residents may require home visits and following that the door-to-door visits began. Doxycycline is also being distributed in these areas.

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Officials led by Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan said few cases of snake bites are also being reported as water levels are receding. “We are also getting a lot of insect bite cases,” one of the camp doctors said. A medical education department official said: “The team has attended to around 12,000 people in the camps.” One of the teams is expected to return to Maharashtra by Monday.

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