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Indian Floods: MSF Responds to the Emergency
Around 850,000 people live in the area of Kurla, 75% of them in slums badly damaged by the floods. MSF proposed to assist the Medical Service of Bombay Municipal Corporation and the authorities accepted a joint assessment. An MSF staff doctor and nurse were assigned to work in conjunction with the local health post staff in providing curative care. “When we arrived in the slum, the 3rd of August, we had the impression of a big, muddy and extremely crowded dump,” says Diana Linda, MSF Head of Mission in India. “I saw people standing in queues everywhere, they seemed resigned to waiting but did not appear despondent. No pushing or shoving, everyone stood patiently.” In some areas of the city the water reached 10-15 feet before receding, provoking huge destruction. Improving access to health care in the poorest areas, provide drinking water, latrines and a waste disposal system are now the priorities to avoid the spread of diseases. “We think that around 500,000 people in Kurla might have no access to drinking water, given that the floods destroyed several water supplies,” says Hans Ulens, MSF Water and Sanitation expert. “It’s a huge task but we’re now conducting an assessment to choose where we will intervene to provide safe water and latrines”. MSF has one mobile team on the ground with one doctor and one nurse ready to provide health care to the people who have no access to the health posts in Kurla, as lots of them have been flooded. On the first day of consultations MSF saw 300 patients.
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