SOXA, St Xavier’s School, Sahibganj, and Loyola Alumni Association (LAA), Jamshedpur, organized a medical check up camp for displaced and flood affected families in town areas, namely Church Road and Gulli Bhatta, and poor families in 3 small, still flooded island villages in Rampur Diara, which is opposite the St. Xavier’s School campus.

St. Xavier’s embarked on the timely mission of ensuring that the flood affected people of Sahibganj who were displaced from their homes, got a meal.

Next they sent out a message for medical aid to which the Loyola Alumni Association responded.

The medical relief team comprising Fr. Pius Fernandes SJ, President LAA Jamshedpur, Dr. Amit Mukherjee, Alumnus LAA and Ronald D’Costa, ex-FOJAAI President, left for the 9-hour drive to Sahibganj. Fr. Hilary D’Souza SJ, Principal, St. Xavier’s School, Sahibganj, a few dedicated alumni cum school teachers and active SOXA members accompanied the team from Jamshedpur. All of them travelled by boat (over one and a half hours) to flooded villages to meet the medical needs of the affected families by the recent floods. The slow, tedious journey in an open motorised boat in the scorching heat of the sun, did not deter them.

Around 225 adult patients including many small children were medically examined by Dr. Amit Mukherjee from LAA and Dr. Sumit Kumar, Alumnus SOXA. The necessary medicines as well as vitamins, provided by the Loyola Alumni Association, were distributed free as per their ailments caused by effects of partially receding flood waters.

The people were very impressed with the fact that the team travelled 1.5 hours across the river to attend to their ailments. The most common ailments were diarrhoea, dysentery and widespread cough and cold which was rather a matter of concern considering the current pandemic.