Kathmandu, May 28 (IANS) Indian doctors will assist Nepal’s own physicians in organising mobile health camps to tackle any likelihood of outbreak of epidemics following the devastating temblor last month and ahead of the impending monsoon, a top official said.
The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will jointly conduct mobile health camps to prevent potential outbreak of epidemics in the districts that were badly affected by the April 25 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, it was announced here on Thursday.
Pointing out that thousands of quake survivors, taking refuge in makeshift shelters, were vulnerable to epidemics in the aftermath of the natural disaster, IMA, the professional organisation of medical and dental doctors of India, said they were set to conduct mobile health camps in association with their Nepali counterparts to provide healthcare to disaster survivors.
“We cannot remain mute spectators to Nepali people’s plight at such time of national crisis and tragedy. Indian medical teams were dispatched to Nepal to respond to the post-quake needs,” IMA president A. Marthanda Pillai said at a press meet organised in the capital.
He said IMA had already contributed medical supplies worth around Rs.4 million (nearly $62,700) to quake victims.
“It is crucial to make necessary arrangements for special health camps on time, bearing in mind the potential outbreak of epidemics,” said Pillai.
Meanwhile, IMA has signed a seven-point agreement with NMA for providing medicines and expert services to the people living in makeshift camps, formulating a special strategy to prevent epidemics before the onset of monsoon, and extending all kinds of medical assistance as necessary.
NMA president Anjani Kumar Jha said the professional organisation of medical and dental doctors has been actively engaged in ensuring people’s access to medical services since the earthquake hit the Himalayan nation.
“Still, we have much more to do and we will be organising mobile health camps to cover all quake-affected areas,” he informed.
(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)