On January 26, 2001, a 6.9-earthquake near Gujarat killed over 20,000 people and injured over 150,000 more; destroyed over 300 hospitals and 200,000 houses; completely destroying and damaging another one million structures in the region.
AmeriCares responded immediately with relief supplies, including 1,000 tents, blankets, plastic sheeting, facemasks, casting and other orthopedic materials, disinfectants, water purification tablets and generators, as well as medical supplies and nutritional supplements.
Through a direct partnership with Disaster Relief Cell, created by the state government in Gujarat after the earthquake, AmeriCares organized the distribution of these supplies to hundreds of thousands displaced by the earthquake, AmeriCares also provided orthopedic equipment to clinics throughout the quake-affected area.
Emergency Medicine Training in Gujarat
AmeriCares not only responds to disasters but contributes to capacity building for preparedness. We are supporting New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in conducting training on emergency medicine, trauma care and disaster preparedness and response for doctors and hospital administrations in the earthquake-prone Gujarat state. AmeriCares, New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University launched this training program in June 2005.
This three-year initiative consists of emergency medicine and disaster preparedness courses and trainings that build on the National Trauma Management Course run by the Academy of Traumatology of India. When completed, it will have trained over 500 health care professionals. The Gujarat Ministry of Health was also a key partner in this initiative.
Shamlaji Hospital
AmeriCares also partners with local hospitals and clinics on an ongoing basis to help ensure that they have essentail medicines and medical supplies they need to help them treat their patients. In Shamlaji of Sabarkantha District – a poor tribal area in Gujurat, All India Movement for Seva is running a 30-bed hospital under the supervision of Dr. Haren Joshi and Dr. Pratima Tolat. Dr. Haren Joshi is a trauma, vascular, and general surgeon and previously director of three hospitals in the U.S. and Dr. Tolat is an ophthalmologist. Currently, the hospital sees an average of 200 patients per day. The hospital also employs Female Health Workers to provide guidance for maternity and childcare and run the vaccination program.