Human life is closely interlinked with politics. Every aspect of human life be it birth, death or a human sponsored event like this is not devoid of that politics. My experience in conducting the health camp at 36 Debendra Chandra Dey Road from 21.01.2010 to 26.01.2010 (six days) is not an experience in seclusion. Ward 57 is a part of borough VII and is one of the wards besides eight other wards in this borough. There are ten doctors posted in this borough besides the executive health officer, who is the over all health in-charge of the borough. It has been my sad and painful experience that leaving aside a few, most of my colleagues were not interested in offering their services for such a cause and remained unavailable on flimsy grounds or even went to the extent of not receiving calls that would have deputed them to duty at the health camp.
The subordinate paramedical staff of the ward health unit 57 of which I am in charge, have been more responsive and responsible in this time of stress and without whose active participation this camp could not have been successful. Needless to say, the borough chairperson Ms Lakkhimoni Banerjee, the ward councillor Mr Biren Chakroborty and the executive health officer Dr Amitabha Bhattacharjee were the strengths behind this camp.
Local MLA Mr Manab Mukherjee, Hon Mayor Mr Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee and MMIC (Bustee) Mr Abu Sufian were among the first to visit this fire ravaged spot. They were followed by Trinamool oposition leader in KMC Janab Javed Ahmed Khan, Trinamool MP Mr Sudip Bandopadhyay and other leaders from the congress minorities cell, besides the ever growing pack of NGO's and the outfall of all such visits and/or programs resulted in the duplication of services as each performed in seclusion and in a way to highlight their own interests. Banners, posters and flags (whether political or otherwise) were located at strategic points in the area, so as to proclaim one's greater involvement in the process of relief, in this man sponsored devastation. Each family as a result was recipient of tarpaulins, woollens, utensils, new and used garments, dry foods and cooked meals much beyond their real needs. Besides these, arrangements were also made for night shelter at the local "WELCOME BHAVAN".
It has been my observation that HIVE India (NGO) was the only organisation that worked on the health front besides KMC Health in giving relief to the minor traumas, aches and bruises of the affected population. The synergism of work of these two organisations should be a matter of study as no health services were duplicated, while HIVE(India) was responsible for dressing the wounded, the paramedics of KMC provided the requisite medicines under the guidance of a doctor and the two organisations even shared the same location without any problem.
The rubbles and ashes of the fire have been partially removed and while the process is in progress measurements have been taken for rebuilding the shanties in the near future and I guess till such occurrence, the affected population will continue to receive relief in various forms and cooked meals sponsored by various political parties, non-govt organisations and even individuals. The health camp that had kept vigil from 9.30 pm to 6 pm on all these days and had been instrumental in treating and distributing medicines to about 350 affected people will be discontinued from 27.01.2010 in view of the emergence of a stable situation.
