Kerala docs stranded in Port Blair - Newindpress.com

KOCHI: A six-member team of doctors, which arrived in Andaman and Nicobar Islands under an initiative of Non-Resident Keralites for taking part in the relief and rescue operations, has been denied permission to visit the worst-hit islands in the archipelago.

Despite repeated requests from the medical team comprising doctors from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode Medical Colleges, the island administration has not given them permission to travel to the battered islands of Kachchal, Kamota and Nancowri. Following this, the doctors remained stranded in Port Blair.

"The situation in these islands are very bad. Two doctors are already in the area. They recently urged the administration to rush more doctors as the situation there is very grim. But we don't know why we're being denied permission,'' team co-ordinator Ratheesh told this website's newspaper over phone from Port Blair. The team is being sponsored by Overseas Friends, an alumni association of Anjuman Engineering College and Rescue International. All the three organisations have been launched by Malayalis working in UAE.

"We also heard from personnel involved in rescue operations that even the dead bodies have not been removed from these islands home to many aboriginals. No one from the administration has visited these areas,'' Ratheesh said.

"We expressed our desire to work on these islands. But for some strange reason, permission is being denied,'' Ratheesh, a Dubai-based businessman who reached the isles for voluntary work, said.

"The Health Secretary after showing initial interest in our request suddenly changed his stand. We spoke to Union Minister E.Ahamed. But even his intervention has not made a change,'' he said.

Doctors in the team have already met the Lt. Governor and other senior bureaucrats in Andaman. "But nothing positive is emerging. They have not given us a proper reply. This sparks off doubts whether they are trying to hide something,'' Ratheesh said.

The team is led by Dr Sajith Kumar, assistant professor, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. Dr Santhosh Kumar, Sajeesh and Dinesh of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, B Krishnan and Habeed Mohammed of Kozhikode Medical College are its members.

Meanwhile, sources told this website's newspaper that the team would be given permission to visit Kamota on Monday. It will take eight hours to reach the island. "We need medical presence in Kamota than in other islands. The team would be given permission to visit Kachchal and Nancowri also,'' the sources said."

Monday January 17 2005 00:00 IST