Dr. Lopa Gupta and Dr. Mantu Gupta have been visiting India for nine years along with their children, Sarina, Dilan, and Kasmira, to fulfill their dream of serving the underprivileged class in the remotest areas of India and improving the quality and standard of medical and surgical care. These volunteer medical missions prompted the Gupta family to set up their own non-profit foundation. The name SaDilKa was actually inspired by the names and meanings of their children: Sarina (serene: PEACE), Dilan (dil means HEART in Hindi), Kasmira (named after Mt. Kashmir: reaching new HEIGHTS).
SaDilKa’s mission is four-fold: train, teach, treat, and test (research). The foundation provides free care and surgical treatment to those who are suffering around the world; teaches and trains local doctors and medical professionals on new and advanced techniques; gives lectures to students in elementary schools to stress the importance of primary and secondary education; and performs research to uncover new methods of prevention and less invasive surgical techniques. Currently SaDilKa holds an annual medical “camp” (clinic) in India to provide free treatment to hundreds of patients and train local medical professionals. Approaching the problem from four paths allows the impact of the “camp” to last long after the “camp” has ended. The partnerships SaDilKa has established with local doctors and medical professionals are essential for setting the groundwork to provide free treatment throughout the year. SaDilKa Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide.
SaDilKa plans for the future:
- Treating acute and chronic disease that is inflicting significant pain, morbidity, and loss of quality of life in underprivileged patients. Sadilka aims to conduct these missions not just in India but to other parts of the world as well.
- Teaching and Training local village doctors and residents on the latest surgical techniques and preventative strategies in order to maintain an improved level of medical/surgical care afforded to villagers throughout the year.
- Testing through clinical research and trials new treatments in the form of medical therapies or novel surgical approaches for better management of common, debilitating conditions like kidney stones, tear duct obstruction, and dry eyes from trachoma.
- Increase awareness and support for volunteering by funding medical students and residents who desire to participate in such camps. Hopefully they will set up camps of their own in the future (see Junior Chapter)