Health professionals from St. John's Medical College Hospital, Manipal Hospital, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences [NIMHANS] and the Indian Medical Association have chalked out ways to respond to the crisis. The team is headed by Dr. R Seethalakshmi, medical director, government of Karnataka.

"Our immediate concern is to deal with trauma and to provide medical relief but soon we will have to address the issues of public health, psycho-socio impact of the disaster and deal with the overall development of the affected communities," said Dr. Rajiv Narayan of the Community Health Cell [CHC], Bangalore one of the co-ordinator's of the initiative.

There is a great demand for anti gangrene injections, antibiotics, anti inflammatory drugs, disposable syringes, bandages, plasters, band-aids and other medicines. The Karnataka Chemists and Druggists Association and the Bangalore District Druggists and Chemists Association have donated generously the required medical supplies. Medicines are carried by the doctors who are flying down to Ahmedabad every day from Bangalore and personally supervising the medical relief programme.

As a first step a team of 10 doctors and paramedics sent from St. John's have started work in a village 200 km away from Ahmedabad. In addition an IMA team sponsored by philanthropists have also landed in Gujarat.

Meanwhile a team of doctors from the Manipal Hospital is also in the quake-affected state. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sanjay Pai, technician G Venkatesh and anesthetist Dr. M R Chandrashekar of Mallya Hospital are in Bhuj.

HOSMAT's eight member team comprising two orthopedics besides, paramedics, nurses and trauma care specialists are also in the various villages in Gujarat, informs medical officer Ajit Ryan.

All the doctors in the city feel that this is the first time the presence of medical professionals has been demanding, as all these years' hospitals only rendered medicine supplies and financial assistance.