***If you don't have the time please at least read the last paragraph starting w/'It was an interesting'...***
Today was our last day at SM and boy was it a day. Post-chai we started off the day doing the second part of rounds w/Dr. Gupta. Urm who I had mentioned earlier was headed home for a few days but we got the REAL scoop on her now. Boy were we duped. Aunty Jenny told us that she in fact has contracted it from her husband (who is a truck driver) but she does not know that her husband gave it to her. Her daughter (the adorable Anjali) also has it and so she too will be starting ART (anti retro-viral therapy) soon. Currently her CD4 count is decent enough for not needing ART and so is the husband's but Urm does need it. She will be coming back w/her two older daughters for them to be also tested. Quite disturbing---so in reality Urm has been DUPED. Then followed one of the most amazing and touching things I have ever experienced in my life. They have a daily devotion session at Michael's Home around 9:30...today however they waited for us and started devotion and prayed for us as it was our last day...everyone-the staff and the clients gathered. We were asked to choose one of the hymns from the book and Farah suggested 'Amazing Grace'. I was choking up-no lies. Aunty Jenny then said a prayer for all four of us. It was just so kind and so real and one of the kindest things ever. Made me feel warm and choked up all at the same time. Post-lunch we spent some time talking to Misha (the med student volunteer) and also learned abt TB as well as Mother-To-Child-HIV-Transmission from Dr. Gupta. Emma got a bonus as she also got to learn what the word 'fetus' means...being the non-medical ppl that she is (sorry we all are). It is just amazing to me how something can be SO common in one country and you hardly hear about it in another. TB, malaria, etc are terms thrown around like we throw around heart attack or stroke over there. That is not to say coronary disease is not an issue here too. That is a booming business in itself. You can't pass a street where you won't see some center or shop advertising a cardiac check-up package...e.g. value package...bonus package...Gold package etc etc etc. We bid farewell to everyone and everyone also bid us a warm farewell and headed off to Lajhpat Nagar to check out the market/shops. It was good but we didn't buy anything---did enjoy some yummy Kwality ice cream though. Our final stop was at Coffee Day which was a great way to end our day and I finally had my slice of chocolate indulgence that I've been craving and missing out on for days now (yesterday Tonic only had ice cream for dessert). Came home to find our AC working!!! YEAH!!!! Keeping our fingers crossed it stays that way...feeling sticky around the clock was just not something we were getting used to. ASIDE: It was an interesting experience interacting w/Dr. Gupta the past few days. He is a very intelligent guy and taught us quite a lot. At the same time however he did not think we were very intelligent people and sort of assumed all four of us were completely ignorant of anything remotely related to medicine. We had told him about each of us but that somehow only helped him establish a mindset that we wouldn't know the most basic of things. I think in my case he assumed that I must be the 'dumb nurse' that docs etc tend to deal with (he didn't even bother to acknowledge it). Clearly ppl here do NOT hold nurses in high esteem. Frankly it is a sad state in this country. I had spoken to a nurse in the St. Stephen's Outreach center as well (the Outreach center in the slums we had visited last week). She told me abt how ppl here give a damn abt nurses here and most people think of them as being sorta 'medical slaves' (I use that term w/some reservations) who have no real knowledge and merely do what they are told. When one really thinks abt it this type of mentality is only harming the system. If doctors learned to collaborate w/nurses the healthcare delivery system would be improve considerably. This could only be done if nurses were to be trained in a manner where nurses would work w/doctors as colleagues and NOT simply having docs serve as their superiors. This also demands providing nurses w/some level of autonomy---if trained properly and w/the needed skills this autonomy could most certainly be granted. While nurses and doctors both receive the deserved respect in the US it is essentially the opposite here---when in fact in a developing nation like India the healthcare needs demand highly trained doctors AND nurses who can work side by side. While the doc is looked upon as God here (literally) the nurse is usually looked down upon or altogether sidelined. Watching the nurses work and do rounds w/the doctors it was apparent that nurses here are either not trained w/the same level of medical knowledge as in the US or they are simply not allowed to utilize this medical knowledge that they received as part of their schooling. I can only hope someday this sad state of affairs will come to an end...
In that picture is Om Prakash (a former addict who is now the gatekeeper at SM) and also in the background u can see Anjali (Urm's daughter)...
Thursday, June 7, 2007
A little of this....a little of that...
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tonic and HNS
Below: Tonic, Delhi
So today was Day III at SAHARA Michael's Home and the girls will cover today in their blogs...I am done writing abt SM for now and will completely digress. I think the girls might've thought I was kidding and I may not write abt this here (fearing mom/dad will have me fly back tonight) but I will :)
Yesterday night the SWOT Team got very innovative and amongst our deep (very deep) conversations brought to life HNS-Hindu Nuns Sect (irony? I think not). I am starting the HNS for those of us who are just not finding this marriage thing happening or working. The only pre-requisites are:
1.) Not getting married
2.) Subscribing to Men Style and/or GQ
3.) Marriage rule is nullified in circumstances where you come face to face w/any of those individuals in Men Style and/or GQ (e.g. Johnny Depp, Daniel Craig, etc.)
4.) Devoutly follow Sej-ism
Number four is a complex issue and will be self-explanatory on a web-site that is currently under creation w/supervision by Farah. Just think of HNS as a very convienient way of living the nun-hood life...the modern, flexible way...
---------------------------
If anybody is still reading after my absolute INSANITY (and truth) above...post SM we went for a brief shopping experience where we were good and bought nothing (read we simply found nothing worthwhile buying). Then headed to our big mission for the day---dinner at the Indian restaurant under Chopsticks (remember I had mentioned it's a fancy buffet place that Sudarshan had treated us at?). It was closed and we went into the one next door-Tonic :) Good food...great ambience...very relaxing. It was apparent that the place was for the very well off but nonetheless we had a great time. The second half was fantastic as w/a mere dimming of the lights and some upbeat music the place literally turned into a club type atmosphere. Eventually we headed back to reality world and came home to our not-still-AC'd apartment...the pictures above are all at Tonic...
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
SAHARA Michael's Home II
***Jackie I replied back to ur comments in the comments...***
Today was day two at Michael's home and we had a great time. But bfr I get into that let me add that our AC died yesterday night and we were sorta out of electricity too. It's not fun-stuff...AC's not back yet but Acchelal (the caretaker) says it'll be fixed tommorrow.
We started off our time at the site talking to Urm a mother of three who has been at the center for the past month. She is the wife of a truck-driver but has NOT contracted it from him. Her story starts off some four years back when she first started complaining of various aches and pains...help was sought from a local practitioner who kept treating everything w/injections (the kind that had been used over and over and over again). Eventually she was tested at one hospital where the test came out negative. However-a test done later with another doctor (apparently a real one) came out positive and she was referred to SAHARA Michael's. She currently stays at Michael's Home w/her four y/o ADORABLE daughter. She has two other older daughters (9 and 11 y/o) who are staying back home w/the grandparents and family. Her husband who is constantly on the road has not tested positive and serves as a support system for her. She admits her greatest regret after testing positive was automatically assuming her husband had fooled around and given it to her. She has family support but they've made it a point to make sure word does not get out of the house into the community about her having tested positive (fear of the severe stigma attached). When we asked her what could be done about these quack-docs (that are what they are really called) she said that while the docs cannot be stopped it is possible to attempt to stop people from visiting them...word can be spread by mouth to raise awareness.
We then spoke to several others who now work at the center but previously were clients receiving the services---absolutely amazing!!! Almost everyone from the medical director down are former IDU (injection drug users) who struggled for years with the addiction bfr seeking out help at SAHARA's and overcoming the addiction. When we say addicts we mean people who were spending anywhere between 100-5000 Rs. daily on drugs (drugs that are both legal and illegal---legal meaning drugs sold at pharmacies but bought under the table and illegal meaning things such as brown sugar aka heroin). We also had a chance to visit the mini-lab (remember they are trying to make things work as they are now based in a farmhouse???) where the lab tech showed us rapid testing for Hepatitis B/C as well as HIV and she also showed us a slide of a STD under the scope but we cldn't clearly understand what STD she was referring to. She will bring the written name and show us tommorrow.
Post-lunch we spoke to Aunty Jenny (such a sweet woman)...a former school teacher who involved herself in these activities after her two daughters were struggling w/an addiction problem. She works as a counsellor and while she hasn't been formally trained I can confidently say she can beat out any formally trained counsellor w/all her experience and skills. SAHARA helped her two daughters overcome their addiction and now they are also leading a perfectly normal life. We also had a brief session w/one of the nurses who told us about the universal precaution methods used in the center---which vary slightly (and are milder) because this is a 'home' or center as opposed to an actual hospital.
One thing we have learned over and over again at Michael's Home is that it is in particular a success because it run by those who were once addicts. These people understand to the T what these clients are struggling with, what their needs are, etc etc.
Post site visit we headed off to Delhi Haat an outside market where one can buy handicrafts, cloths, snacks, etc and spent some time shopping there. Had my first Limca (sorta like a 7-Up as Paul called it) since we arrived-lovin' it. Then headed home but just HAD to make a quick stop at Cafe Coffee Day (Indian Starbucks) where me Mango Colada was yummy (tempted Paul into buying one) and Farah had her prescribed dosage of a latte. Just got home and am realizing more and more (as my pants LITERALLY stick to this chair) how much we miss Bapu's AC that worked almost all the time (lol minus that lapse for a day or two that we faced).
Today was day two at Michael's home and we had a great time. But bfr I get into that let me add that our AC died yesterday night and we were sorta out of electricity too. It's not fun-stuff...AC's not back yet but Acchelal (the caretaker) says it'll be fixed tommorrow.
We started off our time at the site talking to Urm a mother of three who has been at the center for the past month. She is the wife of a truck-driver but has NOT contracted it from him. Her story starts off some four years back when she first started complaining of various aches and pains...help was sought from a local practitioner who kept treating everything w/injections (the kind that had been used over and over and over again). Eventually she was tested at one hospital where the test came out negative. However-a test done later with another doctor (apparently a real one) came out positive and she was referred to SAHARA Michael's. She currently stays at Michael's Home w/her four y/o ADORABLE daughter. She has two other older daughters (9 and 11 y/o) who are staying back home w/the grandparents and family. Her husband who is constantly on the road has not tested positive and serves as a support system for her. She admits her greatest regret after testing positive was automatically assuming her husband had fooled around and given it to her. She has family support but they've made it a point to make sure word does not get out of the house into the community about her having tested positive (fear of the severe stigma attached). When we asked her what could be done about these quack-docs (that are what they are really called) she said that while the docs cannot be stopped it is possible to attempt to stop people from visiting them...word can be spread by mouth to raise awareness.
We then spoke to several others who now work at the center but previously were clients receiving the services---absolutely amazing!!! Almost everyone from the medical director down are former IDU (injection drug users) who struggled for years with the addiction bfr seeking out help at SAHARA's and overcoming the addiction. When we say addicts we mean people who were spending anywhere between 100-5000 Rs. daily on drugs (drugs that are both legal and illegal---legal meaning drugs sold at pharmacies but bought under the table and illegal meaning things such as brown sugar aka heroin). We also had a chance to visit the mini-lab (remember they are trying to make things work as they are now based in a farmhouse???) where the lab tech showed us rapid testing for Hepatitis B/C as well as HIV and she also showed us a slide of a STD under the scope but we cldn't clearly understand what STD she was referring to. She will bring the written name and show us tommorrow.
Post-lunch we spoke to Aunty Jenny (such a sweet woman)...a former school teacher who involved herself in these activities after her two daughters were struggling w/an addiction problem. She works as a counsellor and while she hasn't been formally trained I can confidently say she can beat out any formally trained counsellor w/all her experience and skills. SAHARA helped her two daughters overcome their addiction and now they are also leading a perfectly normal life. We also had a brief session w/one of the nurses who told us about the universal precaution methods used in the center---which vary slightly (and are milder) because this is a 'home' or center as opposed to an actual hospital.
One thing we have learned over and over again at Michael's Home is that it is in particular a success because it run by those who were once addicts. These people understand to the T what these clients are struggling with, what their needs are, etc etc.
Post site visit we headed off to Delhi Haat an outside market where one can buy handicrafts, cloths, snacks, etc and spent some time shopping there. Had my first Limca (sorta like a 7-Up as Paul called it) since we arrived-lovin' it. Then headed home but just HAD to make a quick stop at Cafe Coffee Day (Indian Starbucks) where me Mango Colada was yummy (tempted Paul into buying one) and Farah had her prescribed dosage of a latte. Just got home and am realizing more and more (as my pants LITERALLY stick to this chair) how much we miss Bapu's AC that worked almost all the time (lol minus that lapse for a day or two that we faced).
Monday, June 4, 2007
SAHARA Michael's Home
Today was our first day at our new site heading out from our Vasant Kunj apartment (which is only for this week blah). It is again a part of SAHARA known as SAHARA Michael's Care Home and provides services in particular to IDU's (intravenous drug users) and those who have tested HIV positive. The MOST interesting part of this was to learn about how for the most part the program is run by former clients who have slowly turned into service providers. Both of the men whom we spoke to...Francis as well as Philip were former service seekers and are now at management type positions within the center...Philip told us he had been a IDU since he was 13 y/o but had given it up some 10-15 years back.
SAHARA Michael's in a nutshell:
1.) In-paitent facility consisting of 35 beds and will serve clients for as long as
needed...maybe 15 days maybe 3 months...medical tx...counselling...spiritual
support...etc
2.) Availibility of 24/7 Service...with doctors/nurses/health-care providers...
3.) Outpt Department which is open 5 days a week for four hours each day and serves
as an entry point for clients---whether they may need to be admitted...out pt
services or referral services (mental health, etc)
4.) Hands-On-Care Training (focusing on universal precautions, etc.) provided to
health-care providers who come from all over the nation for this certification
5.) Home-Based Care---this is provided from within the community so as to assure
there is not a high level of dependence on seeking out services at the
center/clinic for issues that can be solved on the home front-in turn promises
less use of resources
With the limited family/social support and the massive stigma associated w/these issues it becomes difficult for the clients (btw they do not like to use the word patient as it comes off as demoralizing in some sense). SAHARA is often the sole support system for these individuals and therefore it is very important for those running the program to provide a close-knit family feel to the center to provide a safe-haven for the vulnerable population to turn to...
This center just moved to a new location a month back and they are attempting to make it work. They are currently set up in a farmhouse (those who have been to India know it's like a day getaway place) and so it isn't the easiest thing. Also having been located in the previous location for 10 years it will take some time for the client population to re-direct and come to this new place which is 7-9 km away.
I had some thoughts today when Philip and Francis spoke about spirituality...will try to get them in later...btw there was a Delhi Bandha today (shutdown) because of the severe political tensions w/the Gujjar issue and their demands not being met...we rode home in an ambulance to assure our security...NEVER a boring day here...
Am back to write in about the spirituality bit I mentioned earlier. Today at orientation there was discussion of how the approach is of a spiritual type and not of a religious type. The focus is on helping these individuals understand the value of their life and the reality of the power above that is watching out for them. That to me is the true meaning of religion---a type where unity is promoted!!! The power of faith becomes all the more apparent watching these former clients so effectively manage this massive undertaking. This faith requires no massive temple/masjid/church...nor does it require any fancy scripture...nor does it demand anything else...and yet it seems to achieve so much more!!!
SAHARA Michael's in a nutshell:
1.) In-paitent facility consisting of 35 beds and will serve clients for as long as
needed...maybe 15 days maybe 3 months...medical tx...counselling...spiritual
support...etc
2.) Availibility of 24/7 Service...with doctors/nurses/health-care providers...
3.) Outpt Department which is open 5 days a week for four hours each day and serves
as an entry point for clients---whether they may need to be admitted...out pt
services or referral services (mental health, etc)
4.) Hands-On-Care Training (focusing on universal precautions, etc.) provided to
health-care providers who come from all over the nation for this certification
5.) Home-Based Care---this is provided from within the community so as to assure
there is not a high level of dependence on seeking out services at the
center/clinic for issues that can be solved on the home front-in turn promises
less use of resources
With the limited family/social support and the massive stigma associated w/these issues it becomes difficult for the clients (btw they do not like to use the word patient as it comes off as demoralizing in some sense). SAHARA is often the sole support system for these individuals and therefore it is very important for those running the program to provide a close-knit family feel to the center to provide a safe-haven for the vulnerable population to turn to...
This center just moved to a new location a month back and they are attempting to make it work. They are currently set up in a farmhouse (those who have been to India know it's like a day getaway place) and so it isn't the easiest thing. Also having been located in the previous location for 10 years it will take some time for the client population to re-direct and come to this new place which is 7-9 km away.
I had some thoughts today when Philip and Francis spoke about spirituality...will try to get them in later...btw there was a Delhi Bandha today (shutdown) because of the severe political tensions w/the Gujjar issue and their demands not being met...we rode home in an ambulance to assure our security...NEVER a boring day here...
Am back to write in about the spirituality bit I mentioned earlier. Today at orientation there was discussion of how the approach is of a spiritual type and not of a religious type. The focus is on helping these individuals understand the value of their life and the reality of the power above that is watching out for them. That to me is the true meaning of religion---a type where unity is promoted!!! The power of faith becomes all the more apparent watching these former clients so effectively manage this massive undertaking. This faith requires no massive temple/masjid/church...nor does it require any fancy scripture...nor does it demand anything else...and yet it seems to achieve so much more!!!
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Vasant Kunj
We just arrrived at our Vasant Kunj apartment for the week...it is nice...definitely nicer then the other place. But no escape from the lizards...YUCK!!! It's pretty late but I am uploading some pics as we finally got a chance w/a computer and fairly fast internet here. There is also a TV w/a whole lot of channels. Attached is the pic I took right now at the apartment at dinner. Do check out the pics below too.
Temples, Tombs & Money
Today was an off-day again which meant more time for sightseeing...we head out w/our driver from yesterday Surinderbhai who first took us to the ISKCON temple. It was amazing and disgusting at the same time-so glamorous and many people but it just did not feel right at some level [we were welcomed by a firm devotee who told us something abt those who were enlightened and followers of Krishna consciousness and those who hadn't discovered it---clearly all four of us must've looked like we fell from the latter group]. The minute you walk outside of the vicinity you realize the needs of the people are yet to be met at a more basic level. Endless money spent on land...building it...jewels...maintaining it...etc etc etc. As if that wasn't a reminder of the current day reality we then went to Humayun's Tomb which was in our [Farah & me] opinion the Delhi version of the Taj Mahal in a different color. Again SO much money and land spent on one person---that too after their demise??? While it was grand and what not one just wonders of what use is it? Maybe at the most the revenue it is producing from tourism [might I add that the cost for Indians is 10 Rs. or 25 cents and for foreigners it is 250 Rs. or 6 bucks---sorry Farah I should've gotten ur ticket]. Headed off to lunch at a fancy-smancy place for Italian and when I say upscale I mean it!!! [We sound hypocritical don't we---honestly we didn't know our driver wld take us to such a place] Our final part of the outing was supposed to be visiting Rajghat [where the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi is] but that wasn't a success because apparently some minister was visting. That in itself is an issue---what an absolute inconvienience to the public simply because one minister is visting. Quite honestly the question becomes what is the visit of this minister achieving for the nation minus turning off foreign visitors???
Back to my title...it just amazes me and becomes all the more apparent that what I had once heard Swami Sacchidanand mention is in fact the bitter truth [probably why he is not a famous Swami and not many have heard of him]. If we were to collect all the wealth that is hidden w/in the temples, masjids and tombs of our nation then we would be anything but a third world country. Clearly people would rather put 10 Rs. into the donation box as opposed to using that 10 Rs. to feed a hungry mouth or to take their child to the museum or something. For some reason it is not apparent to them that the 10 Rs. they just donated will only be used as a means to collect another 20 Rs. in someway or another...worse off...the 10 Rs. will be used directly or indirectly to convince the unenlightened of why one sect or group of followers is superior to another and why one NAME of God is better to pray to another name that is advocated by another sect or group. Absolutely disgusting. Many preach [preaching is easy---it comes naturally to humans I think] the philosophy that we are ALL the children of one God but very, very few actually believe it and follow it.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Amnesia
I am not sure how I forgot to mention this but one of the days this past week we also visited the blood services center at Apollo Hospital Indraprastha---bfr visiting the truck center in the afternoon we visited Apollo in the morning. Dr. Raina who is our medical director for this program is also the director of that department at Apollo. He gave us a tour of the department and also explained what goes into collecting and processing blood.
Donors at one time used to be paid for giving blood but legislation sometime back stopped this practice. Those in need of blood nowadays either receive it from a family member or at times end up hiring someone to donate blood 'under the table'. The BIG problem w/this is that who hire someone are a higher risk of contracting something (e.g. HIV) because most likely this person will not report their true history to the doctor. Unfortunately at times it comes down to either receiving nothing or taking the chance of hiring someone. The practice of donating blood for money still exists in some remote villages etc and therefore the prevalence of one donating infected blood is much more likely there.
There was also a walk-through of the labs for testing (apparently it's okay to where open-toed shoes in labs here---even at the Apollo). Not sure how many are aware of NAT (Nucleic Acid Testing)...but Dr. Raina told us that while it is not mandated for all hospitals it is standard policy to test it at Apollo.
ASIDE: Apollo Indraprastha is a very upscale hospital---very hi-tech and primarily directed for the well-off. There is a government-directed ward where services are provided to those in need but aside from that it is designed to serve ultimately the creme de la creme. It is basically the complete opposite of St. Stephens which serves the very needy.
Our visit ended w/a delicous lunch at the Executive Lounge (I told u it's the other extreme of St. Stephens) compliments of Dr. Raina...all four of us knew we wld have never have made it into that Executive Lounge otherwise :):):)
Donors at one time used to be paid for giving blood but legislation sometime back stopped this practice. Those in need of blood nowadays either receive it from a family member or at times end up hiring someone to donate blood 'under the table'. The BIG problem w/this is that who hire someone are a higher risk of contracting something (e.g. HIV) because most likely this person will not report their true history to the doctor. Unfortunately at times it comes down to either receiving nothing or taking the chance of hiring someone. The practice of donating blood for money still exists in some remote villages etc and therefore the prevalence of one donating infected blood is much more likely there.
There was also a walk-through of the labs for testing (apparently it's okay to where open-toed shoes in labs here---even at the Apollo). Not sure how many are aware of NAT (Nucleic Acid Testing)...but Dr. Raina told us that while it is not mandated for all hospitals it is standard policy to test it at Apollo.
ASIDE: Apollo Indraprastha is a very upscale hospital---very hi-tech and primarily directed for the well-off. There is a government-directed ward where services are provided to those in need but aside from that it is designed to serve ultimately the creme de la creme. It is basically the complete opposite of St. Stephens which serves the very needy.
Our visit ended w/a delicous lunch at the Executive Lounge (I told u it's the other extreme of St. Stephens) compliments of Dr. Raina...all four of us knew we wld have never have made it into that Executive Lounge otherwise :):):)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
