All 8 of us finally met up at Delhi airport and landed as a group in Coimbatore. The 2.5 hour flight was fast but provided a well needed nap.
We were met by Shaniya (who recently completed her medical studies in China) and Mr. Walter who were outside waiting for us for at least 20 minutes however neither party recognized the other initially. They are courteous and pleasant people. The trip to Anakaitty took about an hour by car and the roads were pretty adventurous, as trucks, cars, and motorcycles zoomed past one another without many restrictions and road guidelines. Our driver was a pro and used his horn with great accomplishment. Shaniya recommended stopping for food, so we went to a restaurant about twenty minutes out from the airport (still in city area). The food was delicious and cost only $10 to feed the 9 of us.
After 30 minutes into the journey towards Bethany Medical Center, we realized that we would be leaving urban areas and entering the rural parts of Tamil Nadu. We drove through the forests with palm and coconut trees towards a large beautiful mountain. When we arrived, we were met by Mr. Arun with a big smile and positive greetings. He showed us to our living quarters: two rooms with three beds for the women and one room for the men. There is a bathroom, sink, and bucket for bathing. We have fans, lights, and overall, it is quite a decent place to stay.
By the time we finished settling in, we were told that lunch was prepared. We had rice with a lentil soup and fried fish (amazingggg). At noon, the weather was near 90 degrees and we all felt exhausted. We took rest before having the tour of the hospital.
The proposed daily schedule is below:
7:30a-7:45a: breakfast
7:45a-8:00a: Morning prayer
8:00-8:30a: finish breakfast
8:30-10:00p: inpatient morning rounds
10-11:30a: outpatient with various doctors
11:30a: tea time!
12:00-1:30p: outpatient
1:30p: lunch time
2:00p-4:00p: return for surgery, lab, or more patient time
5:00: tea time!
4:30-630 (possibly): outpatient
7:00-9:00: inpatient evening rounds
After a tour of the hospital (some details below), we were served dinner: fried eggs and onions, beans, and bread with a milk and rice sweet drink. Again, delicious. We went to a small store not to far from hospital to purchase water and other small items. The store owner placed cloth wraps around the male students waist and gave them a fashion lesson. It was great intro to our stay.
Specialities we will learn from include OB/GYN, orthopedic surgery, cardiology, dentistry, internal medicine, and pediatrics. There is also a nursing school and primary physicians here to provide medical care for two neighboring villages. On the weekend, we will travel to more rural areas to provide any medical care. The possibilities seem quite open and we are excited to see what the next two weeks bring to us!
We were also warned of elephants at night and to stay away, haha!
-Simi
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