OB India doctors quickly noted that Tharsila was very weak and suffering from a high fever.

ORISSA, India - By the time Tharsila finally made it to Operation Blessing India’s relief camp in Srikakulam, she was so weak she all but collapsed.

The 17-year-old fled with her family from their small town of Kandhamal in the wake of attacks against Christian churches and communities after a prominent Hindu leader was killed late last year.

At the Srikakulam camp, Tharsila and her family were given food, clothes and a place to rest. But OB India doctors quickly noted that Tharsila was very weak and suffering from a high fever. She nearly fainted while they examined her. Her doctor promptly ordered a blood test, which tested positive for malaria.

She was immediately taken to a nearby OBI partner hospital for further treatment. There, Tharsila was given I.V. fluids and treated with antibiotics. After five days of treatment, Tharsila fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

After five days of treatment, Tharsila fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

Returning to the camp healthy was a happy moment for Tharsila and her family in the midst of a trying time. “If I would not have received this treatment, I don’t think I would be alive and seeing this day. Thank you so much for your timely help,” Tharsila said.

Now Tharsila’s family is slowly starting to rebuild their lives, working at a nearby poultry farm.

To date over 3,000 refugees have been displaced by the persecution in Orissa. Many have sought refuge at government camps, only to be threatened by mobs trying to poison the water and bomb the camps.

OB India staff and volunteers have been coordinating with several state refugee camps to bring much-needed aid to the refugees.

Nearly 75 families were found living in a school hostel with only 7 rooms and no basic amenities at In Rayagada, while in nearby Ramagiri Mandal there were nearly 200 families staying in a school. In Bhubaneshwar and Khurda Road there were another 2,000 refugees who, like Tharsila’s family, had come from Kandhamal District.

OBI distributed bedding, towels and soap, plus rice, dal and cooking oil as well as nutritional drinks and biscuits to the families.

OBI teams distributed aid such as food, water, bedding and hygiene supplies to families.

Volunteer medical staff have been dispensing emergency care to refugees who have been weakened and sickened by their exodus, like Tharsila.

“OBI provided very critical help to families who survived the communal violence,” says Dr. Rajesh Dasari with OB India. “More than 400 families have been helped since the persecution began. Many have relocated to different cities where there is peace.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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