The Hindu : Health plan for victims of calamity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Health plan for victims of calamity

By Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, JAN 17. Having tried, tested and fine-tuned the first-of-its-kind psychological first-aid mental health programme for patients recuperating from major natural or man-made disasters, the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is now ready to market this unique product.

Assembled and put in place with technical and financial assistance from the American Red Cross, the `Disaster Mental Health Programme' -- the first such extensive health capsule formulated in South East Asia -- aims to provide access to social and mental health services to reduce mental health morbidity, disability and social problems.

Tested in Gujarat after the earthquake in 2001 and in Orissa after the floods in 1999, the project, claim officials, has been pruned to perfection.

Recently the project was borrowed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be replicated for rehabilitation of persons recovering from the Iran earthquake.

Speaking about this project that had cost the American Red Cross close to a million dollars, the Programme Associate of the Disaster Mental Health Programme of the American Red Cross, Rashmi L. Narayana, says, "The practice of psychological support prior to and after a disaster has been absent in the Government scenario and even in the private sector there is no help available to people. The Disaster Mental Health Programme provides psychological support that today has become an important component of the disaster preparation and response repertoire.''

For formulating the programme the Indian Red Cross Society inter-phased with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Oxfam ActionAid and Care to develop a coherent approach to community-based disaster mental health.

The objectives of the programme are to increase the capacity of the Gujarat and Orissa State branches to manage the disaster mental health and psychosocial care programmes by developing skilled volunteers and expand the capacity of trained community volunteers to offer psychological first- aid in the selected States.

Speaking about the ongoing programmes in two States, Dr. Narayana adds, "We have developed infrastructure of mental health professionals in State and district. There are currently 1,620 identified Red Cross volunteers trained in techniques of psychological first-aid in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, and Gujarat. Also the programme has served over 464,520 beneficiaries directly. We have also targeted 218 schools in Orissa and 45 schools in Bhuj. The students and teachers are being trained to provide assistance in case of disaster. The programme is built in a manner where the IRCS personnel need not be there to carry the programme through and it remains a solely community-based programme.''

Hoping to expand the programme to other States hit by terrorism and communal tensions the project relies on "talking to the victims, helping them cope with disaster and rebuild their lives by organising community games, encourage celebration of regional festivals and educating children, adults to help themselves,'' explains Dr.Narayana.

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