Jan 9, 2005 By Rebekah Sungala 4 min read

Dr. Mani Balu was already planning to go to India when the earthquake-induced tsunami hit southern Asia and eastern Africa. He never wavered in his decision, not even as he watched TV and saw the angry waves crashing against his native land and watched as the victims searched through the rubble, looking for lost pieces of their lives, loved ones they may never see again.

The 69-year-old, a pediatrician in Uniontown for more than 10 years, travels to Madras, India, every year with his wife, Shantha, and spends two to three months giving medical care to children and adults affected by leprosy. He also uses the time to visit with family.

However, this year Balu, a member of a group called Physicians for Asian Disaster Relief, headed straight to Porur, Chennai, and met with a group of officials at the Sri Ramachandra Medical Center and Research Institute, wanting to know what he could do for the victims.

Chennai is the rural capital of Tamil Nadu, a poor southern Indian state populated by fishermen and their families and one of the areas of India hardest hit by the tsunami.

Balu’s son, Dr. Ravi Balu, said seven fishing villages near Madras were destroyed by the tsunami. Ravi Balu, a dentist who has an office in Connellsville, said his father is now helping collect money to rebuild those villages, even though he initially planned to work with leprosy patients during his three-month trip.

According to the Associated Press, 150,000 people were reported dead as of Saturday, and tens of thousands were still missing.

“A lot of poor people were affected by the tsunami, a lot of poor people,” Ravi Balu said. “Some of them still lived in huts along the shore.”

The Tamil Nadu Foundation (TNF), an American-based non-profit organization that provides assistance for the poverty stricken who live in Tamil Nadu, is working to help rebuild houses in the Indian region. Ravi Balu, a member of the foundation, said it costs about 1,800 rupees, or $50, to build a simple house in Tamil Nadu.

“Our organization is trying to raise money to help the fishermen who were affected,” he said. “With $50 you can build a basic home, possibly with a light. It could house a family of four to six.”

In addition to raising money to build houses, the TNF is hoping to purchase fishing boats and nets for the fishermen who lost everything in the tsunami, Ravi Balu said.

Lois Petrazzi, office manager at Mani Balu’s Uniontown practice, said she was not surprised her boss and his wife decided to go to India.

“It’s no surprise to me. He’s a wonderful man, and I’m sure he’s doing everything he can do for the victims over there,” Petrazzi said.

Petrazzi said that Mani Balu was supposed to attend a medical convention in Sri Lanka. When it was canceled, he decided to donate his registration fees to the relief effort, she said.

“He cares about people; he doesn’t like to see anyone suffer,” she said.

Ravi Balu said about 45 family members still live in India. Fortunately, none of them was affected by the tsunami.

“We had some friends who lost relatives,” he said.

While talking to people from India, Ravi Balu said he was told many people went outside right before the tsunami hit.

“The water receded back into the ocean a couple hundred yards, and they couldn’t figure out what was going on. People went out on the beach to see it. They said the wall of water was receding for about 10 minutes. It was like a suck-back. Then it came forward and hit them,” he said.

Ravi Balu said his father and mother arrived in India on Monday. He has spoken with them since their arrival.

“He said there’s a lot going on,” Ravi Balu said. “He said most of the destruction is south of Madras.”

According to Ravi Balu, his father said doctors are most concerned with waterborne diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhoid. There is also concern because fertile farmland along the coast was destroyed by saltwater.

“I don’t know if this could have been avoided, even if an early warning system would have been in place. The water was traveling 600 miles per hour. It was almost like a jet plane, it was traveling so fast,” Ravi Balu said. “It’s going to take some time for things to be repaired. The saltwater had contaminated the field. But there haven’t been any major outbreaks.

“Like I said, it’s going to take a while, but things will be all right. They’re getting a lot of help.”