Blog 1: June 8th
I’ve been in India for four weeks and am amazed by the people. Currently I’m volunteering in the slum clinics and orphanages. The medical slums provide free medical advice, first aid, and over the counter medications to those who cannot afford it otherwise. I personally work to measure blood pressure and blood sugar for those who come in. Many of the individuals who come in either have cuts from poor walking conditions or riding motorcycles, have Delhi Belly, or dehydration. A huge issue in India is much of their food is only carbs. There is very little vegetables or fruit in the India diet which has caused further health issues in the long run. Many individuals experience kidney stones and heart issues because of their diet. In the orphanages we get to play games with the children. I love the orphanages because I get to make up new games to play with them every day. I know when I get home, I want to try to mail more board games for them. The children are so sweet and incredibly tough. They tend to hit each other a lot and play football (soccer) very rough.
Alongside working in the medical camps, I get to attend surgeries. One case that really broke my heart was 23-year-old women who was hit by a motorcycle and broke every bone in her left hand. When we arrived, she was screaming for her mom who was nowhere around. The doctors had to amputate her hand because the bones were basically gone. This tends to be a common issue in India because of the amount of people in cars/ bikes and the poor roadway systems. I wish there was more I could do.
The Medical Slums