State ready to 'contain' disasters

From disaster sites, victims need not go to hospitals any more. Hospitals will go to disaster sites instead

By Hemington James

Posted On Friday, December 05, 2008 at 02:35:32 AM

The need of an organised relief operation was felt during the Shakunt Hotel collapse in Feb ‘08 Armed with five mass medical casualty containers from a Turkey-based firm, the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) is now better equipped to fight natural calamities. The containers, reaching the warehouse of GSDMA at Adalaj few days ago, are full of medical equipment, including first aid kits and heart pumping equipment. According to sources, 100 patients can be treated by 25 doctors simultaneously with the help of the gadgets and kits in the containers, which would be finally based at Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Baroda, Surat and Gandhidham. According to Mahernus Dastur, the chief fire officer of Ahmedabad Fire Brigade, the containers would be of great use to fight natural calamities. The Urban Search and Rescue operation devices, as shown above, will contain everything that a rescue team would require at a disaster site The five medical causality containers bought under the Gujarat Earthquake Rehabilitation Project spending approximately Rs 8 crore, sources said, were checked by doctors on Wednesday even as GSDMA authorities refused to divulge any details of the containers meant for live saving purpose. Leon Badi, an official of Turkey-based firm UMTAS in town to deliver the containers, said: “The equipment in the containers are highly advanced and unmatchable. Several of the devices are from countries like Japan, Germany, Holland and Turkey.” Even as the containers from the abroad have landed, GSDMA is yet to get the hook arm trucks on which they would be loaded and sent to the places of emergency. Tenders were invited for the hook arm trucks and trailers in December, 2007, but in vain. Now, they are planning to issue fresh tender. Sources said hook arm trucks are produced by only Hyva India Pvt. Ltd in India. If GSDMA does not get any bidder for the second time, trucks would be purchased with trailers. GSDMA needs seven hook arm trucks and eight trailers for using the containers properly. Significantly, besides the mass medical casualty containers, GSDMA would get urban research and rescue containers within a fortnight. Multi-functional rescue vehicle (MFRV), each priced at around Rs 2 crore, would also be in its kitty, said sources, adding that around Rs 100 crore would be spent to overhaul the disaster management system in the state. The urban research and rescue containers, according to sources, would reach Mumbai on December 15. Around eight such containers, bought from Turkey-based firm UMTAS for Rs 14 crore, are expected to be in the city on or before the Christmas Day. MEET THE LATEST LIFE-SAVERS • These containers have everything required to deal with a disaster. All you need to do is load them on to trucks and take them to the site • The five containers will be stored in the warehouse of the Gujarat State Distaster Management Authority at Adalaj • The containers, bought for around Rs 8 crore, will be finally based at Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat and Gandhidham • The containers are loaded with first aid kits and heart pumping equipment. Up to 100 patients can be treated by 25 doctors simultaneously with the help of gadgets and kits in the containers • The equipment in the containers are highly advanced and come from Japan, Germany, Holland and Turkey. The equipment include hydraulic rescue tools, concrete cutters, medical bag packs, rope rescue system, generators, drill machines, strechers, water purifiers and bandages • Mahernus Dastur, chief fire officer, Ahmedabad Fire Brigade, says the containers would be of great help while dealing with fight natural calamities The equipment in the containers are highly advanced and unmatchable. Several of the devices are from countries like Japan, Germany, Holland and Turkey — Leon Badi, an UMTAS official