More on the Internship

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The second half of the internship was spent at a mission hospital in Mussoorie, a hill station above Dehradun, and at Than Gaon, a village with a clinic sponsored by CFHI.
Both rotations gave a good picture of how difficult it is for people in rural communities to learn about and access healthcare facilities. Many of the villages in surrounding areas have no roads, so if you are too ill to walk, you have to hope someone has an animal you can ride or is willing to carry you. Add to this the stress many people have about the affordability of care. Many people put off going to the doctor because they can't afford it and then end up at the hospital later with a much more serious problem - something we struggle with in the US as well. In Mussoorie, they are able to treat patients even if they can't afford it, yet many people in the villages don't know or understand this. This was made evident when we were seeing pregnant women who had been having contractions for 3 days before deciding to go to the hospital because something might be wrong.
In Than Gaon, there is one doctor who holds clinic three days a week and hikes to villages in the area two days a week to hold local clinics. He serves 28 villages, some of them as far as 5 hours hike away with no road access. This, of course, is also just a clinic, it is another hour or so by car (if you have one) to the nearest hospital or area with diagnostic facilities, etc. The clinic also serves children who go to school in the area and the doctor does weekly checkups to make sure the children are gaining weight, healthy, etc. That was a particularly funny morning to be in clinic - the kids are so funny, whenever they see you they always stand and say "Good morning Madame!"

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Photos

Herbal Remedies
Dr. Paul teaches Blythe about some ayurvedic medicine.

Stressful week for Keif
Keif had a really tough time in Than Gaon drinking chai and playing with the puppies.

Village Kids
Children playing in front of the clinic we hiked to.