Hospital Week

This week my rotation was at the Lady Willingdon Mission Hospital in Manali.  I spent my time observing surgery, rounds, the outpatient clinic, and the antenatal clinic.

Our day began at 8:30am at Devotion, where the staff gathered daily for singing, a prayer, and announcements.  Dr. Philip Alexander (the hospital’s superintendent) would speak about decision making, kindness, and how doing the right thing isn’t always easy. This was a very peaceful and refreshing way to start the day, no matter what religion was being practiced. I found this to be a great way to remind the staff, and myself, of the sole purpose behind practicing medicine: compassion, healing, and as a way to give back to the community.

There are so many people who are sick in India, and only so many hands and resources available to provide treatment. Because of this, I noticed different dynamics in the hospital that I was not used to seeing in the US. First being, the hospital’s mission is to make the sick healthy without the concern of profits and gains for themselves…

During devotion, Dr. Philip made it clear to the staff that he is doing his best to give them an annual raise, but it is difficult because there is such a need for medical supplies and a new ambulance. He does anything he can to keep a balance between the happy staff/healthy patients. The staff calmly accepted and did not complain or roll their eyes. Everyone was there for the same purpose and that was to treat the patients. Dr. Philip and his wife, Dr. Anna (an American doctor from Louisiana), live on site and are available 24 hours/ 7 days a week if needed. They pour their heart and souls into the hospital, and it shows in how the staff, patients, and community respect them. They are both amazing individuals, we could use more of them on this earth.

This is a stark contrast from medicine that I have witnessed back home. There are a lot of medical practices and hospitals available for people to choose from in the US. Because of this, there seems to be more of a concern for competition, profit, and productivity compared to what I have seen here at the hospital. Another difference that was noticeable was that in the US, many patients take medicine for granted…I know I am guilty of this. From what I could tell this week, every individual who walked onto the hospital grounds was appreciative and grateful of their treatment no matter what the outcome.  It was great to see the sincere efforts of the staff and in return, the appreciation of the patients.

Because of the lack of resources and money, the hospital was very inventive when it came to making due with what they had. Some examples include: using a mosquito net for a gastric surgery instead of the expensive material used in Western hospitals, taping a plastic chair to wheels for a wheelchair, and using poles with a sheet between it to transport patients.

                The cases I saw really blew me away. There was a significant amount of recurrent cases of TB, ischemic heart attacks, and COPD. Seeing this emphasized to me Dr. Philip’s reasoning for wanting the group to do research on TB. Many of the patients were young and had severe pulmonary TB. We also saw a significant amount of extra-pulmonary TB, which was very interesting.

                I really loved this part of the trip and I am a little sad that it is over. I learned so much about myself and why I really want to go into the health care field.