The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to step in with medical and psychosocial support for the survivors of the Wayanad landslides as part of a comprehensive strategy being devised by it to help in the rehabilitation of the survivors.
In a statement here on Wednesday, the IMA said that it had created a support cell by including several mental health experts for mental health counselling or therapy to help the survivors recover from possible post-traumatic stress disorder.
The IMA was also preparing to open a temporary poly clinic, with specialist doctors‘ service and telemedicine facility, in the locality, it said.
The IMA also said that it had long-term plans to build a permanent health-care facility in Wayanad.
It appealed to the government to invest in all possible measures to prevent and forewarn against natural disasters in future. The State would go a long way by taking forward the concept of One Health, which envisaged the health of humans as totally interdependent on the health of the environment and that of the animal kingdom.
₹30 lakh to CMDRF
On Wednesday, the IMA State leadership met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and handed over a cheque for ₹30 lakh as the organisation’s contribution towards the CM’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), to be used for re-building Wayanad.
The IMA said that it was in the process of collecting more funds through its various branches across the State for the health-care and rehabilitation requirements of the landslide survivors.
