Jain Digest 2001 01 Vol 17 No 01

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

Page 26

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HEADQUARTERS NEWS....
JAINA'S IMMEDIATE RELIEF EFFORTS:
Dr. Dhiraj Shah, past President of JAINA is the Project Manager for JAINA's Earthquake Relief Operations. He was in Bhuj just before the earthquake for Bidada Medical Camp. Upon hearing the news of the earthquake in Bombay, he rushed immediately to Bhuj to locate his parents and other family members. It turned out all of his immediate family members were safe. He did lose 300 of his relatives, friends and neighbors. He saw the most heart wrenching scenes of dead bodies and crying children. On behalf of JAINA, he personally supervised the JAINA's emergency relief efforts. He is back in USA to start coordinating JAINA's fund raising efforts for long term rehabilitation. He has managed to sent much needed 100 wheelchairs for amputees.
Dr. Manibhai Mehta, former President of JAINA was also at the Bidada Medical camp. He had just returned to his home in California and the earthquake news prompted him to go back. Under the auspices of Southern California Jain Sangh, he led a delegation of six other community members: Popat Savla, Rashmi Shah, Dr. Bala Subramanyam (L.A.County Disaster Co-ordinator), Ukabhai Solanki and Govind Lalani for one week to the devastated areas. The American ambassador Hon. Richard Celeste flew from New Delhi to Bombay to meet with them and discuss American help. They also met with the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani to discuss resettlement plans, They visited many affected places and donated $50,000 to Bidada Sarvodaya Hospital.
During the last ten years, JAINA/WCS has collected over $2,000,000 in donations for the benefits of victims in the aftermath of Kandala cyclone (Vilages of Ragha and Shekhadia), Latur earthquake (one village) and Orissa Cyclone (Rebuilding salipur Mahavirgram Village) here too, JAINA has plans to rebuild a town with a community center and a middle school near Sukhpur - 7 km from Bhuj. Dhirajbhai has received a promise of free land (15 acers), a grant of one crore rupees and infrastructure from the Gujarat Government.
Bachubhai Ajmera, Chairman of JAINA's World community service and other members , Ramesh Shah, Shirish Mehta, Rashmikant Shah and Laxmikant Shah rushed to Kutch for personal evaluation of needs. Ramesh Shah is organizing fund raising in California and is returning to Kutch in the second week of March.
All of the Sanghs under the JAINA umbrella have collected funds for the victims. Every penny you donate through JAINA will be used for the victims, JAINA has already sent $2,500 to Mandvi Jain Sangh JAINA also helped in opening of first school for 1,100 students at Samkhiali near Bhachau by sending $7,500 for the same.
Most of the efforts thus far have been spent in relief work. The rehabilitation work is yet to start. Now is not the time to send more used clothing to them. If you have resources to obtain medical supplies or educational supplies or any life building materials, you can contact the World Community Service of JAINA. If you have expertise in construction, rehabilitation medicine or any life saving skills, offer your services through JAINA.
(Continued from page 21 )
Harish Thakkar, who has a food stall on the footpath opposite the bus stand asked if he could help. I said, get me a gas stove and a huge utensil to boil water. He got it in no time and also brought dabeli, a popular dish in Bhuj,for the patients and their relatives.Imagine, hundreds of pieces in a few hours. It was a miracle. As I was treating patients, I got pieces of news. Ramesh is no more, that some other friend had died. So many people I knew have died. One nice chap put biscuits in my mouth when I was stitching wounds. He was so caring. Slowly, things got organised. We don't know who got those things for us. Things poured in. Dicloran and Tetanus Toxideinjections were made available.
After 7 pm, I was tired, it was beyond my scope. I went to the district health officer's office. It's an administrative post. The man does not know anything about medicine. I wanted a mobile operation theatre and 100 operation kits. It was not made available even on Monday night. I pleaded with him and the politicians. Don't call doctors. Get the operation stuff first. Two hundred doctors have arrived in Kutch, but we don't know how to use them in the best way. Thirty bright medical men came from AIIMS, Delhi, but without equipment. Eighty per cent of medical help is useless unless we have an operation theatre and equipment.
Someone sent a helicopter full of Cloramycin, not a great help. I need 1,000 pairs of gloves, please. I understand that the sender does not know the ground realities. As of late night, January 29, we don't have a functioning orthopaedic section and an operation theatre. The military hospital is doing a wonderful job under Colonel Lahiri's leadership, but their resources are limited.
-Source unknown
24/JAIN DIGEST SPRING 2001
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