Jaipur, Rajasthan – India (Mission 2)
JK Lon Children’s Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan – India; January 18-30, 2007
The second mission was held in Jaipur, the capital of the State of Rajasthan, in India from January 18-30, 2007. Twenty three volunteers from California made up the team including nurses, many pediatric specialists- including resident, echocardiogram technician, pediatricians, cardiologist, hematologist, radiologist, surgeon, many non-pediatric specialists including gynecologist, internist, radiologist, perinatologist, and a few non-medical volunteers. A few physicians on the team delivered lectures at an International Fertility Conference that was organized by Dr. Kailash Garg. The team also saw patients and performed surgeries and other procedures at the main hospitals in the city of Jaipur, were involved in various CME activities at the hospitals, and participated in a telemedicine conference with hospitals in the rural areas.
Other activities included patient care and procedures in large scale surgical and medical mobile camps at 2 rural sites, in the villages of Jhalawar and Bharatpur in the state of Rajasthan. In all, the team saw and treated around 1400 patients, and performed over 200 procedures, including major pediatric surgeries, echocardiograms and diagnostic gynecologic ultrasounds. One of the key outcomes of the mission was the establishment of an affiliation between the department of cardiology at JK Lon Hospital and one of the premier pediatric cardiac surgery programs in India, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. In addition, our efforts spurred a local Rotary Club member to take action in sponsoring a pediatric patient for surgery every year.
Our mission was inaugurated by the Health Minister of the State of Rajasthan, Dr. Digamber Singh and given the support of the state government for transportation, boarding and lodging. The team members made a trip to visit the Taj Mahal, in Agra, after completing their work. Once again, the team had a great learning, educational and service experience.