“Throughout our service trip in Bharuch, I was blown away by how incredibly kind all of the hospital staff was.

All the staff members had volunteered their time to provide free medical service at the Jai Jhulelal Hospital. Although they were likely overworked due to the large number of patients, they still took so much time to make sure that all of our concerns were addressed. For instance, when we noticed that the ORs were sometimes not being cleaned between patients, we made sure that the staff was aware of this and by the next day, this change was implemented.

It was absolutely incredible to see the impact that our group’s medical services had on patient’s lives. Some of these patients haad multiple kidney stones that had not been treated for years, so it was amazingly rewarding to see these patients get the operations that they have needed for so long. Another impactful moment of this mission was when Dr. Lopa Gupta did a quick clinical examination and was able to find that one of her patient’s may have presented with elevated ICP. Because of the potentially life-threatening consequences of elevated ICP, it was absolutely essential that this patient receive medical care as soon as possible, and Dr. Gupta’s quick recognition of this hastened the process.

Overall, I learned a great deal about what a successful medical mission involves and how I can incorporate these service trips during my future career as a practicing physician.”

 

Pooja Jairam, Medical Student at Columbia University Medical Center