Hospital welfare society

Over the past few days I have been very fortunate to be a guest of the Mirani household. The Mirani's are the parents of my classmate Anshuman and they live in Rohini in New Delhi. They are a very giving family and this is evidenced through their opening their home to me during my visit in addition to their kindness they show by being part of the Hospital Welfare Society. This society is a long standing society in New Delhi, it was founded in 1947 by the Health Minister of India with the aim of extending support to the underprivileged and sick in the wake of the traumatic partition experience. Its work has been carried out since its inception by a group of empowered women from diverse backgrounds. Some of the work they do includes: - Counselling patients and families in an effort to help them get the services they requires and enable them to communicate well with the medical staff - Providing medicines and financial assistance particularly to cancer suffers who face high and prolonged costs related to their treatments - Caring for burn victims by giving them protinex and milk to ensure they receive the nutrients necessary for healing. Burn cases are common in India, especially amongst women who do most of the cooking and water boiling which are activities with high risks for burns. - Supporting orthopaedic patients by providing wheelchairs and other orthopaedic devices. These devices help patients live meaningful and productive lives in the wake of a devastating injury. Not only does the society provide support to the sick, they recognize the importance of the medical staff. In an effort to ensure that patients continue to get comprehensive care, they offer daycare like services to the medical staff to ensure that mothers and fathers have access to child care facilities so they can continue to work and provide the necessary care to the sick. This society doesn't receive any funding from the Government and all the volunteers give their time and effort selflessly to their country folk. I enjoyed hearing of Anshuman's mother's involvement in this society, she spoke passionately about being able to help others and make a difference. Although she only started volunteering last year, it is heartwarming to know that there are people like her who are recognizing the importance of helping improve the health of the marginalized.

Thoughts Before Leaving

It's hard to believe, but the India Field Seminar is upon us. I truly can't fathom the experiences we are going to have over the next 2+ weeks traveling around 3 of India's largest cities (New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore), but I also wouldn't want to know ahead of time. Where's the adventure in that?

So, along with many of you, I will be boarding a 14 hour flight to New Delhi tomorrow evening and landing in a world not many of us have much experience with. I'm not necessarily talking about the culture and food here, but all of the simple things that we might take for granted. I think I've read and been told enough times not to even think about eating or drinking anything that might have come in contact with the most minuscule amount of tap water. Talk about making someone paranoid, but I couldn't imagine not being able to fill up a glass of water at the closest sink, (and it's not something Brita can take care of)!

But what about the big reason we're all going? We are meeting with some of the most notable figures in India who are trying to figure out how to deliver affordable health care to a population 4 times larger than the US, with far fewer resources. By visiting businesses ranging from medical education, to technology innovation, to biopharma, we are going to come face-to-face with the many health challenges India is up against on a daily basis. We might complain about health care reform and how much our insurance premiums are going up every year, but at least I was able to walk up to the Target pharmacy yesterday and pick up my anti-malaria medication. Last I checked, we don't live under the threat of this disease like a few hundred million people do in India, and I'm sure it's not quite as easy for most of them.

That's all my thoughts for now, but I hope to have a lot more to share as we venture around the country. I'm sure I'll be one of those students who report this trip completely changed their perspective on health care, no less the world, but isn't that why we're going in the first place? See you all in Delhi!

Why am I going on the Indian Field Seminar?

As we prepare for the trip, I am thinking about why I am going on the field seminar. I am interested in process improvement in healthcare delivery. I have observed the operations at many US hospitals and learned about projects such as decreasing ER wait times and improving patient flow. While each US hospital has different challenges, they are all part of a similar culture and are part of the same nationwide healthcare system. Solutions, therefore, are often developed with a like-minded framework. I decided to go to India to observe a healthcare system that is radically different than what I have experienced in the US. There are much diverse challenges in India, such as a much lower percentage of insured patients and environmental health risks. I want to see how the clinics and hospitals overcome these challenges. I hope to come back with more creative problem solving skills as I embark on a career in process improvement in healthcare delivery.