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Helen Nightingale - Medicine and Healthcare, Medicine in India
In 2006 I undertook a 2 week medical placement with Projects Abroad before commencing medicine at Bristol University. I was very impressed with their impeccable organization, support and the quality of their placements. The decision to travel with Projects Abroad again in October 2009 was an easy one, and I was certainly not disappointed.
India is incredible. Her vibrant culture, delicious food and amazing people are surpassed only by her unrelenting beauty. However, adapting to India can be difficult at times; one often finds themselves faced with the paradox of wealth and poverty, western culture and Indian values, and modern and traditional medicine, which can be overwhelming. Projects Abroad are however well practiced at making the transition as easy as possible.
I spent my 2 month medical placement in Madurai, a very conservative and friendly city, where the Mennaski temple stands proud as one of India’s most impressive places to pray. The tailors’ market next to the temple was where I spent a lot of my free time, having dresses made, buying jewelry and chatting to the tailors; who are incredibly talented.
The privately run Saravanan hospital hosted my medical placement for two months, and although the days were fairly long I learnt a lot. Dr Saranvanan himself was amazing, he worked incredibly hard and was much loved by his patients and was a talented surgeon and physician. The mornings generally consisted of ward rounds which were a perfect opportunity to ask questions and observe. Following wards rounds was a GP/outpatients clinic, in which waves of patients crowed into a tiny room, were diagnosed and treated immediately or admitted for surgical or medical care. An incredibly efficient service free from surplus referral and waiting.
On occasion I would wander up to the Cath lab in the mornings and watch angiograms or angioplasty in a new and rather Western cardiac department. After a delicious lunch packed by our host mother afternoons were filled with surgery. I generally observed (and sometimes assisted) Dr Saravanan operating on a plethora of conditions which ranged from orthopedics to oncology. I saw approximately 5-6 operations a day which were hugely varied in terms of technique and type, for example I could observe a C-section, laparoscopic appendectomy, wound debridment and lithotripsy within a matter of hours. On occasion I would observe neurosurgery and cardio-thoracic surgery by the visiting surgeons, these were really a highlight and fascinating. Although Indian hospitals are busy the staff are generally very honored to host the volunteers and do their best to make the experience a valuable and memorable one.
I also visited St Lukes Leprosorum which was an enlightening and rather humbling experience. The Leprosorum offers residents free medical care, food and clothing. It also encourages residents to develop skills, such as candle making which can earn them a small income. The Leprosurum has an adjoining orphanage, for children of those affected by Leprosy and HIV, which offers children an education and safe environment to grow. The children were great fun to play with and even put a dance show on for us.
My host family were extremely welcoming and prided themselves on their hospitality. Our accommodation was simple yet comfortable. At meal times we were treated like royalty; the food was incredible and is still greatly missed. The family spoke very good English and would undoubtedly make me laugh every time I saw them. I particularly enjoyed celebrating Deepavali with them, eating home made sweets and lighting rather precarious fire crackers, which tended to chase you. I was very sad to leave them.
Weekends away or indeed in Madurai were inevitably fun filled and were a great opportunity to meet volunteers on other placements, to experience the Indian transport system and to play cricket with the Projects Abroad staff (not for the faint hearted). One weekend Projects Abroad funded the painting of a local school on request of another volunteer; this was great fun and a really productive project.
Tamil Nadu and neighboring Kerala offer endless opportunities for amazing weekends away whether it be relaxing on the backwaters, trekking in a national park or being pampered in a cushy beach resort. However, I consider taking time at the end of your trip to travel a little father north as an opportunity not to be missed.
My experience with Projects Abroad was a great one and India the perfect choice for food lovers and those with a sense of adventure.