Sunday, December 21, 2008

KOSHI CHALLENGE

KOSHI CHALLENGE
For Bihar Flood (National Disaster) Relief & Rehabilitation a social venture of
Youth For Equality (YFE)
http://www.youthforequality.com
Email: info@youthforequality.com

Background Information

KOSHI CHALLENGE initiated by the Youth for Equality and Khushi Centre for Rehabilitation and Research (KCRR) for long term intervention in the Bihar Flood Relief & Rehabilitaion. The Project is coordinated with the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, Khaadi Gramudyog Bihar and other collaborative partners under the banner of Koshi Challenge or Koshi Chunnauti. Work was the first of its kind and aimed to respond to the immediate needs of the flood victims. The Doctors from every corner of india, engineers, army personnel, students, teachers, faculty department of social work, and medical colleges, DRDO, engineering college including the non-teaching staff and paramedical staff of the Koshi Challenge or Koshi Chunauti are working in Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa, Purnia since 1st weak of September 2008. We are working at two levels –
(a) One component of our team is working at Static Medical Centre or PHC in the name of Hamara Haspatal at two different places (1) Dafarka-Koshi Colony-Bhutahi Baandh (Triveniganj) in view of the massive devastation; (2) Jirwa-Pama Bandh or Nahar, centre of Jirwa & pama panchayat
(b) Mobile Medical Unit or Our Dynamic Clinic is our second component through which we try to reach out to the most affected areas like panchayat Kumarkhand, Dinapatti, Nirmali, Ratanpur, Raghavpar, Khagaria, Chatapur, Rampur, Jirwa, Sonbarsa etc.

At Dafarka-Kosi Colony-Bhutahi Baandh (Triveniganj), we are operating at the following levels –
Successful running of ‘Hamara Aspatal’, a PHC/mini Hospital at Dafarka-Kosi Colony-Bhutahi Baandh (Triveniganj) with support of Delhi University. This hospital caters to the wholesome medical needs of the affected populace and has successfully facilitated more than 25 pregnancies so far.


  • Running of ‘Hamari Paathshaala’ a space for meaningful engagement for the children of the most vulnerable community. Working in two shifts with volunteers from university of Delhi the school involves and enhances the creative potential of (a) non school going children and (b) with children who have had engaged with school.


  • Hamara Sankalp’ is the programme of the and for the youth in the community. Again with the motto of meaningful engagement, hamara sankalp is the forum for the youths of the community to come together to discuss various issues and thereby experience collective learning. The group has lot of potential and ultimately provides all the necessary and logistical support in carrying out the day-to-day activities of our programme.


  • Adolescent girls have been successfully engaged in the form of discussions and small meetings on a variety of issues like adolescent health, domestic violence, personal hygiene, collective initiatives, as well as community health. ‘Hamara Milan’ is a platform to bring all the adolescent girls together and engage them meaningfully in this period of crisis. In addition to this, ‘Hamara Milan’ also involves pregnant women and lactating mothers to aware them in the issues of Reproductive and Child Health Care.


  • Apart from these four activities Koshi Challenge is aiming to reach out and meet the multiple needs of affected population through procurement and supply of tarpaulin sheets, torches, infant milk (Lactogen), skimmed milk, new clothes, bed sheets, utensils, slippers, towels, medicines etc. We have thought over it at the highest level and desire to be a modest facilitating agent in the transformation of life and livelihood in this part.


    AREAS OF CONCERN

    1. Need for Comprehensive Medical Services.
    There are areas which still needs medical intervention. There is lack of medical practitioners and medicine shortage which need to be addressed. Bihar in general have had a sad picture of health, this catastrophe has further aggravated the problem. The availability, accessibility and accountability concerns of health services need to be worked upon.
    2. Lack of Access to Clean Water.
    There is non accessibility and availability of clean and safe water for drinking and bathing purposes. As a result people are forced to use the contaminated water which has increased their vulnerability to water borne diseases. Several cases of Diarrhea, skin diseases and other water borne diseases have been identified.
    3. Problem of Displacement.
    The disaster resulted in massive displacement of people raising concerns for resettlement and rehabilitation.
    4. Issue of Livelihood is the only reason for migration.
    Unlike other rivers bringing fertile silt with them, the Kosi brings with it coarse sand and gravel from the upper reaches of the river system. The barren uncultivable land left by the flood has thus created livelihood concerns.
    5. Trafficking of Children and Child Abuse.
    Disaster increases the scope of Child trafficking. In flood prone lands of Bihar, just south of Nepal, the landless poor are desperate for work. The traffickers take advantage of this desperation. Parents of victims are poor, vulnerable, disposed and labouring... This increases child’s vulnerability to fall prey to the traps of vested interests which are usually well organized and are operated in nexus with the police authority and other influential people. As a result many children become victims of Child Abuse, Bonded Labour, Child Labour, Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of children. The problem of poverty being the root cause of this problem needs to be attacked in order to address the issue as in floods there is no alternative for poor families than to send or sell their children as a labour or commodity in exchange of money. Besides this, awareness generation among people and generating sensitization towards the issue along with stringent implementation of existing legislations and governmental policies, mobilizing people to create pressure groups and working towards bringing structural changes can help address the issue.

    For more information Contact –

    Saket Mani, 09868780980, 09910646609 (Project-Coordinator)
    Dr. Kumar Harsh, 09868397966 (AIIMS)
    Dr. Kaushal Kant, 09868340420 (AIIMS)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

YFE is agrieved on death of its member

Lightning kills Mumbai doctor at relief camp
September 23, 2008: The Indian Express

As a medical student with the Preventive and Social Medicine Department, Chandrakant Patil (25) eagerly volunteered to be a part of the first team offering medical relief to victims of the Kosi flood. Barely a week into his stay in Bihar, the 24-year old doctor met with an untimely end after he was struck by lightning late on Sunday night at the relief camp being run by film director Prakash Jha in Kataiya. His body was being brought to Mumbai on Monday on its way to his hometown in Dhule.

"There was some distance between their place of residence and the tent which held all the equipment. While they were walking towards the tent last night, there was a sudden thunder storm and he was struck by lightning. He was not wearing any footwear at that time," said Dr Amit Nohwar, Patil's batchmate at the King Edward Memorial hospital in Parel. He was part of a team of 40 doctors from Mumbai's health department was assisting in medical relief operations after a call for help from the Bihar Government.

Inmates of the camp said Dr Patil suffered serious burn injuries and was taken to the Referral Hospital at Simrahi where he was declared brought dead. Lab technician Ramchandra also suffered serious burn injuries. Patil had been treating patients at the relief camps in Raghopur, Simrahi, Birpur and Kataiya for the past week.

Patil was a "bright student" having secured a place in both the SSC and HSC examinations. Patil's father Umakant works in a mill back home. Patil completed his MBBS degree from B J Medical College, Pune and joined KEM Hospital three months ago.

"His death has come as a shock to his parents. His mother is in hospital," said Anil Dudhabhate, general secretary of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD). "He was a very friendly, hardworking resident doctor, with a keen interest in social work, something he planned to pursue," Dudhbhate remembered.

The 40 resident doctors from Nair Hospital, KEM Hospital and Sion Hospital were sent to the six worst affected districts in Bihar, to help with flood relief operations. Five of them returned on Monday evening, while the rest will come back on Tuesday evening.

"The entire team is in shock. We will come to know if the team is returning in an hour as they are coming with the body now. Our current priority is to ensure that the body reaches his residence and the last rites are duly performed. Details of compensation and other matters will be determined by the BMC officials in due course," said KEM Dean Dr M E Yeolekar. MARD which had supported the team's visit and stay in Bihar is planning to appeal to the state government to offer some relief for Patil's family.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20080923/804/tnl-lightning-kills-mumbai-doctor-at-rel_1.html

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

See and Wake up !









These are some of the pictures from Bihar, sent by our team members.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Update : YFE in Bihar

YFE IN BIHAR 13th SEP
At the base camp in Sehersa our team has seen around 250 patients ,another team with doctor Lokesh Jha visited Bhutia dam, Simrahi and Ratanpur panchayat and have seen around 150 more patients.
Second team with Dr Saket visited Madhepura district where they visited Dhina Patti halt and Rampur panchayat where they visited door to door and saw around six hundred patients.
From Delhi two of our volunteers carried medicines worth 1.35 lac rupees to Bihar.

YFE IN BIHAR 14TH SEP
From the base camp at Sehersa , one team with Dr Saket, moved to Sarsol panchayat at Sonversa. Here they moved inside water for about 20 km and saw more then 250 patients
Majority of male patients are suffering from tuberculosis and female from anemia.
In Sonversa, they visited Katera and Manor with the help of other associations in the name of Ekta Parisar , Khadi Gram Udyog and Goonj. Second team visited district Madhepura at Deena Patti Halt.

YFE IN BIHAR 15th SEP
YFE INAGURATED A NEW PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE TODAY AT BHUTIA DAM DISTRICT SUPAUL WITH THE HELP OF SOCIAL SCIENCE DEPTT OF DELHI UNIVERSITY.
We have started two types of clinic one is static clinic at Bhutia dam the other is mobile clinic. The static clinic saw 350 patients + 200 patients by our two teams.
Mobile clinic saw 70 patients and we have conducted the survey for last one week which has shown that our team conducted 39 deliveries with the help of local dai.
20 of the babies have jaundice.
Bihar Ekta Parisar provided ambulance to our doctors and Khadi Gram Udyag provided fuel for that ambulance. This team visited more than 250 houses and distributed essential kit to all pregnant ladies which includes one torch and three packet of biscuit ,two candles, two match box, one pair slippers and one iodised salt.
Out team used to go to Bhutia dam daily from Sehersa and in between these, there was a place whose people used to see our team going daily but not stopping there, so they blocked the road. But since other teams were working in the same area, we took alternative route. This is the faith of the people there in our team.

YFE IN BIHAR 16th SEP
At Bhutia dam PHC, our team conducted three deliveries, all normal, with the help of dai.
We organized camp at Sehersa with the help of HELPAGE India.At Dina Patti Halt ,Murliganj and Singheswar mandir at Madhepura, we saw patients. The reporters of HT Jaya met our volunteers and visited our camps. We have taken a local mobile number 09430090312.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Update on Bihar Flood Relief

Till date, our members have established two camps.

One base camp is at Simraha.They have already attended more than 2000 patients. This camp is working round the clock and is open 24 hours a day.

The other one is mobile team which is moving around the flood areas that to be near the Bhutia dam where around 2 feet water is still there thus they are moving on cycles and rickshaws.No Government medical camp , only food distribution is being done over there.

Army is also present there and is doing the rescue operation.

Our team has seen more than 500 patients in this area.

Tomorrow another team is leaving from New Delhi to Patna.

Update on Bihar Flood Relief

Till date, our members have established two camps.

One base camp is at Simraha.They have already attended more than 2000 patients. This camp is working round the clock and is open 24 hours a day.

The other one is mobile team which is moving around the flood areas that to be near the Bhutia dam where around 2 feet water is still there thus they are moving on cycles and rickshaws.No Government medical camp , only food distribution is being done over there.

Army is also present there and is doing the rescue operation.

Our team has seen more than 500 patients in this area.

Tomorrow another team is leaving from New Delhi to Patna.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Bihar Flood Relief

Heavy rains have flooded over 500 villages in north Bihar and affected nearly two million people as all major rivers are in spate.



The disaster began in mid-August, when a dam burst in neighbouring Nepal caused the Kosi river to breach its banks and change course.



More than a million people have lost their homes and the death toll of 90 is expected to rise greatly as flood waters recede.



But many refugees complain that the emergency effort so far has been too slow and inadequate.



Indian officials are in a race against time to rescue hundreds of thousands of people displaced by flooding in the state of Bihar.



Many of the flood victims have been left stranded without homes, food and clean drinking water.



Scenes of chaos have been witnessed, with fights breaking out as people tried to board overcrowded rescue boats.

: Ready to lend a helping hand to those stranded in the middle of massive floods in Bihar, doctors in Delhi have got together under the umbrella of “Youth For Equality” to launch a large-scale flood relief operation.

The umbrella organisation already has on board over 1,500 specialist doctors and other volunteers in association with Indian Railways and a non-government organisation, Youth for Equality. The group is now working towards mobilising more support for the campaign and is requesting people to be generous and donate dry foodstuff, clothes, medical supplies and other material to ensure that they can be useful to those rendered homeless and injured in the recent flooding.


Let us help them

Please contribute generously towards this.

Cheque/draft/pay-order/electronic transfer can be made in name of :
"Youth For Equality Natinal Disaster Management Account"
Account Number: 593010100011510, Axis Bank, East of Kailash Branch, New Delhi.
Deposits cn be made in any branch of Axis Bank.

Contributions received will be used to carry out relief operations and rehabilitation of those affected by the flood.

Contributions made to Youth For Equality shall qualify for 50% per cent exemption from Income Tax under section 80g of the Income-Tax Act.
After depositing money, please send us details at info@youthforequality.com. We will send you scanned reciept. If you require original reciept, please also send your postal address.




A days salary can also be sent by electronic transfer into the account of Youth For Equality


What Bihar needs?

The flood victims need blankets, utensils, milk powder, durries, medicines, ORS etc.

Help them they need your help……………

Forget about region & states, be Indian be human.


--Thanks & Regards

Youth For Equality