KUALA LUMPUR – Dr Shalini Devi Ramachandran could only look in despair as the flood that devastated many parts of the country inundated her clinic in Sri Muda on December 18.
In all, she and her husband, Dr Yuveneswara Murti, who jointly run the barely three-year-old Aranda Clinic, have incurred a total estimated loss of RM850,000 caused by the disaster.
X-ray, ultrasound and electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, bilirubin analyser, three rooms full of medications, desktops and monitors, mobile phones, and furniture are just among a few of the items damaged.
To aggravate the situation, Dr Shalini said her clinic was not insured.
But rather than dwell on it, she and her husband showed admirable tenacity when the couple decided to set up a temporary medical camp right in front of their permanent one.
Armed with barely anything other their medical expertise and their Hippocratic Oath, they are now offering free services to flood victims.
“My clinic is a total loss. It’s very painful, yes. But I can also feel what others are going through now. We lost together, but it’s okay, we will regrow together,” Dr Shalini told The Vibes today.
The 34-year-old general practitioner said from the very first day of the flood, she and her husband were already volunteering free medical consultations and treatment.
But it was not until yesterday after floodwaters receded and their calls for help were heard – as donated medical supplies began coming in – did they manage to set up a proper, temporary medical tent.
“Since my husband and I can’t operate our clinic anyway and have no electricity, we thought: why not set up a medical camp temporarily instead until we can refurbish our clinic?
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“Many other clinics in Sri Muda have been affected. So, we need at least one volunteer to help the victims. And we decided to do it. We will be operating this mobile camp for about 20 days,” she said.
She added that a separate mobile clinic operated by the Health Ministry that was set up in the area had ceased operation yesterday.
While more medication is expected to be donated in the coming days, Dr Shalini expects the supply to last for roughly only five days, and that it would be insufficient to cover the next three weeks.
Other than medication, her temporary clinic is also in dire need of nebulisers, sterilisers, intravenous therapy equipment, cardiac beds, and creams for skin conditions.
She is calling on more volunteer doctors to assist her and her husband in handling the medical camp, as more victims are beginning to come forward seeking treatment.
According to Dr Shalini, since the temporary camp began operations, the number of patients coming in seeking treatment has been increasing.
Most of her patients require wound treatments, while there are those with breathing difficulties with some obviously wheezing.
Quite a number of victims are also seeking medications for chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension after they lost their supplies in the floods, she said.
With many vehicles belonging to flood victims damaged and affecting their mobility, Dr Shalini said residents have no choice but to seek help from her mobile clinic.
“We are surviving based on donations from the public, particularly when it comes to medication,” she said, adding that there has been no help forthcoming from the government as yet.
At the moment, Dr Shalini said donations are coming in from individuals and private bodies like the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) and Klinik Derma Sivasanta (KDS).
P. Murugiah, coordinator for PHA and KDS, acknowledged the urgency and seriousness of the situation, and said this is the reason the bodies decided to jointly sponsor the cost of a list of 44 kinds of urgent medicines.
“We are also appealing on behalf of the doctors in Sri Muda for any form of help in cash or medical aid to provide further assistance to the community here.”
Those who wish to volunteer or donate directly to Dr Shalini and her husband can contact her through WhatsApp at 010-764-8078. – The Vibes, December 27, 2021
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