Jain Digest 2001 01 Vol 17 No 01

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 25

HEADQUARTERS NEWS....
FIRST HOURS IN BHUJ ON JAN 26
cions. I was helpless. I didnot have needle and thread either. Do you know what I did? I shook the patients. With affection, I told
them to get out of the trauma. I shouted: Breathe deeply! Breathe This is a story about the battle between the human will to
deeply! There were so many serious cases. So many people were survive and nature's destructive instinct. Dr Gyaneshwar Rao is a
dead! Ninety per cent of them had head injuries. I asked people to well-known surgeon in Bhuj. After reading how he saved many
help. I asked one young man to break into a chemist's shop and score lives the day the earthquake struck, you have little doubt
get syringes, glucose bottles, needle and thread. I told him not to who the winner is in the fight between man and nature.
worry, that I would take the blame. He got some supplies, but I have lived in Bhuj since 1987. This is the city of unambi- hardly much. Get medicines, I screamed. When I shouted again, cious people. It is so small that everyone knows everyone. On Janu- people got courage. I got what I wanted. It was around 9.40 am. ary 26, I was playing badminton when the unexpected earth
I realised the magnitude of the problem and knew that what I quake shook us. Unexpected because I have built a bungalow and
was doing was not enough. In an hour, patients from Anjar arhospital here and no authority ever told me to be careful. My
rived, many with serious injuries. Dr Patel, Dr P N Acharya, Dr friend and architect Kumtekar did prevail on me not to build a
Pujaraand Dr Bharat Joshi had joined me by then. I wanted to basement because he said, Bhuj is in a seismic zone. I have been
operate. I was desperate.The city had collapsed, and not a single associated with 20 institutions in Bhuj, but no one ever discussed
operation theatre was available. I asked my colleague Bharat this, not even any of the collectors posted here.
Chothani to rush to my hospital and bring the operation kit. I No one can ever accurately describe what we experienced on asked patients's relatives to get me red tiles,sheets of wood and riday morning. It was frightening, sickening. For many moments cardboard to put patients's limbs in plaster. I asked someone to get the tremors did not stop. I screamed again and again; Oh God, Menanitol. I used pieces of shawls, shirts and sarees as bandages. why don't you stop? Dhadak,dhadak... Buildings were crashing When one patient complained of bleeding I tore his headgear and down and a monstrous cloud of dust covered the city. My father tied it tightly around his thigh. described it correctly. He said it was like a huge plane landing One man rushed to me with a girl in his hands. Doctor, he right on your head.
said, please treat her first. I thought the girl was dead. The faWhen I came out, Bhuj was dead. That was the worst 15 ther wanted my confirmation of that fact. Be quick doctor. If minutes of my life. I drove home and saw my family. My wife she is dead, then let me rush to look for my wife in the debris Alka and daughter were searching for me. They were crying. All of my home. He was in deep shock, emotionless. I told him, five of us hugged each other and cried. I thought of my patients Just keep her in our care and run for your wife. He left, leavand rushed to the hospital. My staff were smart — they had led ing his daughter's dead body in our custody. all the patients out onto the road. Thus, they were saved. When I The most traumatic thing for me that day was when I had to arrived, one of my staffers said, Sir, forget it (my hospital). It's gone. ask relatives to take the quickest possible decision to allow me I met Dr Mahadev Patel, we hugged and cried. Someone shook to save a life by cutting off an injured limb. I was rough. I norme and asked :Doctor: How can you lose heart ?; That resident of mally don't behave like that, and I am sorry. I knew every third Bhuj asked me to act. I was not prepared. I said, What can I do?
patient personally. They would scream at me, Doctor, why don't Let us go to the general hospital. He said, Don't you know? It's you look at my leg? Don't you recognise me? For the first few gone. It has collapsed. I was speechless. I looked around for my hours I only had one needle. I told Dr Bharat Joshi to hold that stethoscope. People started arriving outside where my hospital had
needle. It was the most valuable thing I had. My colleagues arstood. In 10 minutes, there were 100 patients. This was around ranged patients in such a manner that I could stitch three patients 9.30 am. All ofthem had multiple injuries. Someone's intestine
at one go. Hundreds of patients were lying on the open ground. had burst, some hadbroken hands, others came with broken legs. With a needle, thread and a pair of scissors, I started suturing. I All of them needed surgery as soon as possible. I instantly took was shouting at the patients, Don't cry. Keep quiet. Around us, one correct decision, don't ask me how. I asked the injured to fol- the noise level was so high. People were screaming in pain, relalow me to the Jubilee ground. All hell then broke loose. I am still
tives crying in anguish, I must have sutured 150 patients that day. amazed that in 10 minutes so many injured people got to know By 11 am, the homeguards arrived, then came member of Parliathat medical help was available on Jubilee ground.
ment Pushpdan Gadhvi. I finally got a table; I asked for a tent. In that mad rush so many good doctors of Bhuj were around, Once they were in place I started operating. Again, it was a hard but for the first few hours I was the only surgeon. People started time. With only a pair of scissors I had to cut off a leg or arm of jostling to catch my attention. I requested two of the patients's many patients. I did it to save lives. Other doctors tied the banrelatives to flank me for my protection. I did not have any injec- dages. By 3 pm, 1 had 5 tables and lots of medical help.
JAIN DIGEST. SPRING 2001/23
Jain Education Interational 2010_02