Today was a pretty unique day. We didn't do much medical work, but we had a fun adventure. After showering, morning prayer, and breakfast, we packed up supplies and headed in two jeeps to a rural village. The road to these villages are gated, and you need special permission to access the road. We rode through some pretty crazy terrain, and saw some really beautiful nature. Just incredible to see where all these people were living. Many of these villagers were farmers and herders, and they had very little access to the outside world.
Once we got there, we set up a mini clinic in a school. The children were on summer vacation unfortunately, so we were not able to see as many patients/kids as usual. But the school was very cute. One interesting thing I noticed was the presence of solar powered lamps sprinkled across the village. It's cool to see that they have those light sources during the night time. We got all the medications and stations set up, then patients came. I helped with taking blood pressure before they saw the doctor. I used the oldest BP machine i'd ever seen! It had mercury in it and looked super old!
One incredible thing I saw was psoriasis. It was systemic and seemed to be a severely chronic problem. That was something I had never seen before. I also learned a bit more about cataracts and about some medications. We didn't see a whole lot of patients, but it's all good, it was more to just witness the villages, the people, and how they live.
We finished early (around noon) and headed for some lunch. Had some good chicken biriyani and parathas from a local restaurant. Bellies full, we rode back to the medical center, where we relaxed for a bit. Emily and I were supposed to see a C-section in the evening, but the patient had bad pain in the morning so they decided to just do it in the morning. We saw these two little girls dancing in the courtyard area, so we decided to join. It was fun! We exchanged a few dances: some Tamil, some American, and even a French one (from Emily)! We were sadly super tired from that, and we eventually had to rest for a bit afterwards. We had our dinner then some of us went for evening rounds, while the other took a break. Although it's been spoken about a lot, the scenery is just beautiful. One thing I think we all learned today is that there is still a very prevalent population who live in secluded areas with little/no electricity, internet, or access to health care. It was very humbling to meet these people and to see a glimpse of their lifestyle.
-Samir
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We started our day with a short service at 7:30am. After a delicious meal of Idli and chutney, we headed for Dhoomanoor at 9:30 am— one of the protected, mountainous, tribal regions that the Bethany Medical Centre caters to. The drive up the mountain was exciting requiring excellent maneuvering skills and Mr. Walter, who possessed just that, ensured that we arrived safely to our destination. We were greeted at the mountain’s peak with a view that was simply breathtaking.
Once we got there, we set up a mini clinic in a school. The children were on summer vacation unfortunately, so we were not able to see as many patients/kids as usual. But the school was very cute. One interesting thing I noticed was the presence of solar powered lamps sprinkled across the village. It's cool to see that they have those light sources during the night time. We got all the medications and stations set up, then patients came. I helped with taking blood pressure before they saw the doctor. I used the oldest BP machine i'd ever seen! It had mercury in it and looked super old!
One incredible thing I saw was psoriasis. It was systemic and seemed to be a severely chronic problem. That was something I had never seen before. I also learned a bit more about cataracts and about some medications. We didn't see a whole lot of patients, but it's all good, it was more to just witness the villages, the people, and how they live.
We finished early (around noon) and headed for some lunch. Had some good chicken biriyani and parathas from a local restaurant. Bellies full, we rode back to the medical center, where we relaxed for a bit. Emily and I were supposed to see a C-section in the evening, but the patient had bad pain in the morning so they decided to just do it in the morning. We saw these two little girls dancing in the courtyard area, so we decided to join. It was fun! We exchanged a few dances: some Tamil, some American, and even a French one (from Emily)! We were sadly super tired from that, and we eventually had to rest for a bit afterwards. We had our dinner then some of us went for evening rounds, while the other took a break. Although it's been spoken about a lot, the scenery is just beautiful. One thing I think we all learned today is that there is still a very prevalent population who live in secluded areas with little/no electricity, internet, or access to health care. It was very humbling to meet these people and to see a glimpse of their lifestyle.
-Samir
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We started our day with a short service at 7:30am. After a delicious meal of Idli and chutney, we headed for Dhoomanoor at 9:30 am— one of the protected, mountainous, tribal regions that the Bethany Medical Centre caters to. The drive up the mountain was exciting requiring excellent maneuvering skills and Mr. Walter, who possessed just that, ensured that we arrived safely to our destination. We were greeted at the mountain’s peak with a view that was simply breathtaking.
Cases seen today
include psoriasis which was to be treated with a coal tar-based topical
ointment, glaucoma which was being managed with eye drops as surgery was not a
feasible option for this elderly patient, elephantiasis which is endemic to
tropical regions and tuberculosis which is also prevalent in these areas. I
came to understand that tuberculosis was not only a respiratory disease and
that it could also affect other areas such as the lymphatic system, brain,
kidneys and bones. It was refreshing to see that this medical effort catered to
the people of Dhoomanoor and the surrounding villages bringing medical care to
the doorstep of folks who would otherwise walked a great distance to have
access to quality health care. School was out of session and so there was no
teaching session which is typically held for tribal students in addition to the
medical care provided. Particularly worthy of note was the doctor-patient
relationship I witnessed—one of mutual respect and trust.
Our eventful day was
crowned with a tasty meal of rice, cabbage, grated coconut and beet salad with
chutney and boiled eggs. We read on the porch afterwards for about an hour and
called it a night.
-Claudia
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