Below: St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi
Below: Me, Dr. Jain, Paul, Emma
Am writing in a bit early today because we got a chance at the hospital cafe. It's the three of us...Farah had to go home earlier w/Shalini because she wasn't well (she fainted while we were doing rounds w/Dr. Jain). She IS absolutely fine so no worries. She is at home resting---or atleast we think. Dr. Jain was standing right w/us when it happened so it was really a blessing. We had lunch and came down here to wait for Dr. Jain's clinic in the afternoon...ok gotta run...
Am back...after lunch we ended up going to the cyber cafe briefly which was yet another internet using experience here w/crashing computers and not-working internet (yes that is gramatically incorrect). Around 2:30 we were finally at Dr. Jain's HIV clinic where we sat in as he consulted w/patients. There were many men of many ages but the one case I think we will all remember is a girl around 18 y/o to whom Dr. Jain broke the news that the final set of test results were HIV+ and she had it. She took it pretty well we thought since she already knew she had it and was waiting for the confirmation. She had contracted it from one of the less-familiar ways---when she was younger her parents had taken her to a local practitioner for TB, pneumonia, etc and received injections where she was likely to have contracted it. It was beyond any words I can think of to see Dr. Jain tell her and their conversation that followed as he told her abt the disease...how it works...what to expect...etc etc etc. The best part was hearing him tell her to live life normally-and that it was possible for her to do. At the end of the clinic hours we bid him farewell and came home to find yet some more excitement awaiting us...
Total aside...we all found Dr. Jain to be just fantastic. He showed sincere interest in teaching us and showed full interest in answering all of our questions. He took the time to explain the case of each pt and what exactly was going on (patience---not a virtue possessed by too many doctors). Such a nice person---Emma complimented him on his devotion to his work and he didn't respond...very modest.
Farah who had come home earlier (and is doing just fine) had found a mouse running around the room---lol imagine the chaos that followed. As of now we believe it's gone from the room but who knows what we'll find waiting for us when we're back there :)
2 comments:
I am loving this. Reading your accounts of the day's activities and happenings is very cool. I keep wishing I had chose HP so that I could be there with you.
Let me tell u...India is an epidemiologists dream/nightmare come true :):):)
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