Disaster Management, Medicine, Research Institute launched in Orissa

By Jyotismita Panda
Bhubaneswar, Sept.30: At least eight thousand people are dying every year in road accidents in India. Almost half of these precious lives could be saved if a proper disaster management system can be put in place, internationally acclaimed micro-biologist Dr Peter Patel said here on Wednesday.
Speaking to this newspaper on the sidelines of the launching of the Regional Institute of Disaster Management, Medicine and Research (RIDMMR), Mr Patel, who worked in earthquake hit Gujarat and Latur in Maharashtra and in some other countries, said disaster management has to be integrated with disaster medicine so has to provide pre-hospital care to post-hospital of the affected persons.
“A disaster is an extreme disruption of the functioning of a society that causes widespread human, material, or environmental losses that exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources. Disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones actually become disasters when they adversely and seriously affect human life, livelihoods and property. Disaster preparedness, therefore, seeks to prepare for and reduce these adverse effects. On the other hand, disaster medicine seeks to prepare for, manage and reduce the adverse effects on human health when events such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones or man-made accidents like Bhopal gas tragedy adversely and seriously affect human life and livelihoods,” said Dr Patel.
The microbiologist, who is currently working as the international project director of Saving Lives, an initiative of Rotary Club of Birmingham, - added that by producing a pool of skilled manpower and creating a state-of-the art infrastructure can help meet disasters of any magnitude or exigencies.
The newly launched RIDMMR, which will be jointly developed by Saving Lives and Bhubaneswar based Ayush Charitable Trust, would work on capacity building of doctors and paramedics who can attend the disaster-hit people at the source. The institute will offer courses in six modules on pre-hospital care, trauma care, planning and strategy to deal with disasters or major crisis, ambulance management, disaster medicine and training of para-medics, informed Dr Ashok Acharya, the newly appointed director of RIDMMR.
The launching ceremony was attended by Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra, revenue and disaster management secretary R.K. Sharma, health and family welfare secretary Ms Anu Garg, commissioner of police B.K. Sharma.
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