Vellore with a nurse and some other students. India has made a huge
investment into primary care and one of the systems they have in place
is having a filter down type that tries to promote prevention. Each
village has a "health aide" which is more or less a liaison for the
village that is intimately knowledgeable of the villagers and their
health issues. When the nurse or sometimes doctors come to the village
they first meet with the health aide to triage. Then the nurse/Dr.
filters out the chaff from the wheat, so to speak, of whom needs to be
seen at CHAD/ CMC Hospital and refers them on. In this method they cut
down on traffic to the hospitals that don't need to be there, they
provide service to patients who can't travel or afford to travel into
Vellore, and hopefully they prevent illness. It was good to see the
theory in action, however it was hard to actually see it in action.
Women who come into the hospital accept the fact that they might be
treated by a man, but if you come to their home they require the men to
exit the room before ANY type of exam is done. So that was a little
frustrating to be of the male persuasion today. I'm glad I got the
experience but I got about as much as I could in the first hour or so...
I was glad we only did a half day. The second half of my day consisted
of traveling into Vellore to once again try to buy some sandals as shoes
are proving quite hot here. I managed to find some, but I still haven't
got the hang of barganing... i'm too used to paying the listed price and
agreed 3x today to just that today before I realized. Once for sandals,
once for a shirt, and then once for the auto ride back to CHAD in a rush
because I realized that I had left my camera in the van that we took to
Munjiput... I honestly didn't think I would ever see my camera again. I
searched the vans in the parking lot at CHAD the one we took wasn't
there... after finding an intern that could speak English so as to
provide advice on how to pursue my lost item, I was directed to the
equivalent of the lost & found where to my chagrin, my camera awaited!
My 3 megapixel camera is 4 years old and wouldn't have been a huge
financial loss, but the loss of a camera for the whole trip would have
been discouraging. The evening activities should consist of dinner at
the canteen, yet again, and then making plans and reservations for the
weekend trip to Pondicherry.
*Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we
are responsible for who we become.*
-Unknown
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