Bihar Flood Relief: UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated Learning): 11 September 2008

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Fresh request to all the DONORs and FRIENDS

Thanks for the help and support extended by all of you.

The team working at the base camp Saharsa has recently updated that there is huge requirement of medicines and infant milk powder. The list of medicines are already posted in our blog. We, therefore request all our friends and supporters to concentrate on collecting medicines and infant milk powder. The third team of volunteers are leaving on 16th September 2008.

Mobile Medical Unit fully functional at the Bhutahi Baandh

The second team sent by DSW has fully operationalised a mobile medical unit (MMU) at Bhutahi Baandh, Triveniganj Block. HelpAge has provided a mobile medical van for this purpose. The MMU would be run by volunteers and doctors sent by the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi.

Update 10th September

The second team from DSW along with the members of first team established a medical unit in collaboration with Jurao at Bhutahi Baandh on 9th September 2008. Bhutahi Baandh comprises a stretch approximately 16 km in length on both sides of the river bank. Here a camp had already been initiated by Jurao with Dr.Saket Mani in charge. This included ‘Jurao Shivir’ which operates as a community kitchen. Setting up the medical unit was an arduous task because there is a huge dearth of material, including minimum basic infrastructure like tables and chairs. The response however has been massive, with nearly 500 people flocking at the camp for medical relief.

It was observed that the area closest to the river bank has been occupied by the more dominant sections of the society. Hence they have relatively greater access to relief material and medical care. On the other hand people from lower castes are located significantly away in the interiors and consequently their access to relief is negligible. The team has therefore deliberately identified and situated another camp approximately 7 kms beyond the Jurao camp.

Another area identified for intervention is Majhouva where more than a lakh people have coming from 250 villages. Here the DSW team will work with HelpAge to set up a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU). While HelpAge will provide the mobile van, the DSW team has committed to organizing the doctors, volunteers and medicines.

Following are the levels at which the students have been working:
At evacuation point, provision of relief material like torches and biscuits with focus on pregnant and elderly women. ORS is also being administered at this juncture.
Begining today, the second medical camp located in the interiors will be functional.
The team has reported massive cases of malnourishment.

Required urgently are the following medicines:
· I/V FLUID- 5, 10 rl
· INJECTIONS- TT, VOVERON, RANTAC, MVI
· IRON FOLIC ACID
· MULTI VITAMINS
· DIGENE
· ALBENDAZOLE
· NEUROBION
· PERINORM
· COUGH SYRUP/TABLETS
· CREAMS- Antifungal/Antibacterial/Anti bacterial/anti microbial/Diclofenac/Vaseline etc.

Plan of Action

Download POA

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Following the desk review of the situation in Northern Bihar as also through the information available from the state and district administration, the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi has developed its plan of action. Based on our experiences of working with victims of earth quake in Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttrakhand, we have taken the initiative for long-term relief and rehabilitation project- UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated Learning-II) for the flood affected people in Bihar with two fold objectives:

a) To contribute in relief and rehabilitation of flood affected victims on long term basis.

b) To bring back experiences of learning into the knowledge system of the university.

We have already started our intervention from August 28, 2008 and a team of seven students and one non teaching staff led by Dr. Manoj Kumar Jha, Reader, Department of Social Work has set up base camp at Saharsa. This team left with relief material worth Rupees twelve lacs collected from various quarters.

Our Vice Chancellor Prof. Deepak Pental has contributed Rupees twenty lacs to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and has also supported the Volunteer based UDAI project of Delhi University. The University has given us all support to make requisite intervention in affected areas. All Colleges/ Departments of Delhi University are joining us in this task.
In view of the severity and the magnitude of the problem, the department realizes that post-rescue interventions can be made at four levels and that too in collaboration with civil society organizations based in Delhi as well as in Bihar:

1. Reaching out to affected families and individuals in the worst affected districts such as Madhepura/Purnea/Araria/Saharsa

2. Helping them with necessary and scarce items such as - packed food, medicines, chlorine tablets, torches, mosquito-nets/repellant, plastic sheets (tarpaulin ones) etc.

3. To liaison and work with government and non-government agencies.

4. To focus especially on children, elderly, Dalits, Muslims and extreme backward class communities as their vulnerability is relatively high compared to other groups and communities in the same region.

WHAT WE INTEND TO DO

We intend to work at three levels- immediate relief, long term post rescue relief and long term rehabilitation. For the same our strategy is as under:

1. Identification of an area (we might focus on a cluster of villages alone) and there too identify the vulnerable locations and populations
2. Development of base and network with government and non-government agencies (for facilitating relief and rehabilitation packages and measures)
3. The impromptu relief camps need better trained staff in the initial phase and professional social workers can have a better impact on coordination
4. Taking a team of twenty students with at least three faculty members which shall liaison and network with the district administration ensuring coordination and cooperation from different government departments as well as NGOs.
5. We also realise that sanitation will be a major problem for these areas as most of the people are residing on the impromptu found cluttered spaces. We intend to liaison and work with organisation based in Delhi as well as the ones working locally.
6. Ready to eat food is more suitable for these areas as availability of fuel will be a problem.
7. We are also informed that ORS packets are not adequate for the affected areas. There is a need for bleaching powder, lime and chlorine tablets immediately for the affected districts.

Bihar Flood Relief: UDAI (University for Development Action and Integrated Learning)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Fresh request to all the DONORs and FRIENDS

Mobile Medical Unit fully functional at the Bhutahi Baandh

Update 10th September

Blog Archive

Department of Social Work, Delhi University

Plan of Action