Relief India is a major disaster prone country and is a victim of an average of 8 major natural calamities every year. Floods, cyclones, droughts and epidemics are frequent while severe earthquakes and major accidents in the railways, mines and factories occur from time to time. IRCS carries out its relief activities not only in India but also in other countries. The IRCS has vide and varied experience in disaster relief work beginning with the 1934 Bihar earthquake to Gujarat earthquake in 2001. Between these periods it has rendered yeomen service to crores of disaster victims. In 1992 relief worth Rs. 72,20,607.00 was provided to many countries of Africa, which were affected by drought and other calamities. Between 1992 and 1998, relief goods worth more than Rs. 32,53,66,460.00 was provided to the victims of flood in many parts of India. Between 1993 and 1999, the society spent more than Rs. 13,53,00,000.00 on the relief and rehabilitation projects in the aftermath of three major earthquakes in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Utter Pradesh.         Hospital Services The care of the sick and wounded men of the defence forces is one of the primary obligations of the IRCS. During World War II some 500 trained lady welfare officers were on duty in hospitals where wounded combatants were being treated. Woollen and knitted garments were sent to Indian prisoners of war in Europe at the rate of 20,000 parcels a week during the peak period. Again during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts of 1965 and 1971, gifts parcels were given to both Indian and Pakistani prisoners of war. Welfare services are run in military hospitals for sick and wounded soldiers by IRCS Lady Welfare Officers who are specially trained for this work. Their main job entails running and maintenance of amenity stores, libraries, diversional therapy- where convalescing patients are given training in handicrafts, recreational activities, outings etc. - which tend to divert the mind of the ailing soldiers from brooding over their sickness and disability. They also write personal letters for those who are unable to do so besides organising fund-raising campaigns for the Red Cross. The Red Cross Home for Disabled Servicemen in Banglore was set up in 1946 for permanently disabled or incapaciated soldiers who fought during World War II. Besides, the medical care it provides all homely comforts to the inmates under the supervision and guidance of a Superintendent and paramedical staff. There is also the Medical After-Care Fund created in 1941 to financially help needy ex-servicemen who participated in World War I and II, Kashmir, NEFA and Ladakh operations and Indo-Pakistani conflicts. Since the inception of the Fund more than Rs. 60 lakhs have been disbursed to 28,635 ex- Servicemen till the end of 1991.         Maternity and Child Welfare The health of any country is closely linked to the health of its children. Being aware of this, the IRCS endeavours to give the best possible care to both mother and child. Keeping this sentiment in view it established the Maternity and Child Welfare Bureau in 1931 at the national headquarters. Since then this activity has grown and expanded in all directions. There are more than 30 MCW Polyclinics and 375 MCW Centres run by Red Cross branches in different parts of the country. They provide antenatal, post-natal family welfare services, immunise children and carry out regular health check-ups, attend confinement cases and run nurseries. A network of domiciliary services system backs these institutions. In addition health education, nutrition and milk feeding programmes are conducted regularly. It also provides technical training and advise to branches and other organisations. It has been a pioneer in welfare work in backward hilly regions of Tehri-Garhwal, Jaunsar-Bawar, Almorah, Pithoragarh, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital districts in Uttar Pradesh. These field schemes include four main maternity hospitals, 20 sub-centres and 12 balvikas kendras.         Family Welfare All Red Cross MCW hospitals and centres carry out family welfare planning work. In addition there are 26 family welfare clinics. They motivate eligible couples to adopt small family norms and provide them contraceptives and other family planning devices. Many of these centres are equipped to meet motivational, clinical and surgical requirements.         Nursing With the rise in population the demand for medical personnel is indeed increasing, especially for nursing care in homes to ease the strain in hospitals. Red Cross MCW units impart training to auxiliary nurse midwives, dais and housewives on home nursing. To encourage higher studies and specialization in nursing subjects, scholarship are awarded to nursing students.       Community Services     Vocational Training Centre The IRCS provides opportunities to increase vocational skills and the earning opportunities of low-income groups and to raise the status of women socially and economically by making them available opportunities for learning and leadership. The society has started V.T.C. in different pockets of the country, which are dominated by backward classes or tribal population. IRCS in respect for gender equality and to augment the participation of women in economic development process started 2 vocational Training Centres, one each at Salt Lake, Calcutta (West Bengal) and at Arakkonam (Tamil Nadu) in the years 1989 and 1993. These centres besides providing training to the needy women also have developed as nucleus points for promoting Women/ child development activities. These centres also serve as garment production centres for use by the society in its relief operations.   Supplementing family income Enabling mothers to spend more liberally on the welfare and upbringing of their children. Give economic independence and improve the status of women in the community Enhance their decision-making role. Improve the quality of life for the family and the communities in which they live.         Blood Bank Blood transfusion ranks as one of the foremost therapeutic advances for restoration of health. Blood has always been looked upon as a substance of not only vitality but life itself. Blood Bank of IRCS started functioning in 1962 when the collection was barely 212 blood units annually whereas it peaked to over 40,000 units in 1990's. Traditional beliefs, myths and taboos were obstacles in the collection of blood. To counter this, massive motivation campaigns through personal approach, correspondence, group approach were started. Red Cross Blood Bank through its trained staff is on the job of augmenting the motivation programme in collaboration with different voluntary organisation, school and colleges etc. More than 3,00,000 units of blood are needed annually for the patients in Delhi and not even half of it comes from voluntary donors although donation of 300cc of blood is absolutely harmless from a medically fit person. All equipments used are sterile and disposable. So there is no danger of contracting any disease, including AIDS. According to the Supreme Court verdict professional donors are prohibited w.e.f. 1.1.98 because the blood collected from professional donors is hazardous and full of risks. The Blood Bank of National Headquarters is fully equipped to separate the whole Blood into various components, which are given to the patients in and around Delhi. There are about 1200 patients of Thalassemia registered with Red Cross Blood Bank. These patients require Red Cell Concentrate every 2-4 weeks for their survival. The Red Cross Blood Bank issues blood free of cost to the thalassemic patients.         Junior Red Cross To ensure continuity and success every organisation worth its name needs the support of the young. Red Cross is no exception. In fact its need is far greater than any other organisation because of its voluntary and humanitarian nature of work. Established in 1925 JRC activities are based on a three-fold programme: Promotion of Health, Service and friendship. Organised in educational institutions it tries to inculcate among the students the seven Principals of the Red Cross Movement by involving them in various humanitarian services at a relatively young age. Spread all over the country JRC / YRC has more than a lakh members. In colleges it is termed as Youth Red Cross.          Tracing IRCS concerns itself with tracing of missing persons at the International level who have been separated from their loved ones through forced, unseen and inevitable circumstances and all other means of locating them has not yielded results. It also reunites families who have been separated under similar circumstances.          For further details write or contact: Indian Red Cross Society, Thrissur Branch. College Road, Thrissur - 680001, Kerala,  India. Ph : 0091-487-2333333 Mobile : 0091- 9846021300 E Mail : office@redcrossthrissur.org