Back from our Sixth Mission to Tawang, India - Further Steps Towards Sustainability
A team of doctors and humanitarian aid workers recently returned (June 2011) from our sixth medical mission to Tawang, India. The trip was a success. Not only did we see the fruits of our work in the health of the children at the Manjushree Orphanage, we were able to integrate and work with the existing medical healthcare professionals. We donated supplies to the vastly under stocked newly built hospital. We forged a working relationship with the director of the Hospital and his medical staff. Our plan for the future is to supply the doctors at the hospital with adequate medical supplies and drugs in our next shipment from Direct Relief International scheduled for April 2012.
Instead of having the villagers walking great distances to see our doctors, this trip we set up medical camps in several remote villages. Word was sent through local contacts that American doctors would be treating patients in those villages on those days and people from the surrounding villages were able to come and get treatment. Our two doctors, Rebecca Giusti and Keller Wortham, saw over 120 patients in two days including several house calls. Dr. Giusti focused on women’s health treating all the pregnant woman. Those villagers requiring follow up or additional medications will be seen and medicines dispensed by doctors at the Tawang Hospital. AD+ World Health will cover the costs of the medications. The doctors provide their services for free. The doctors also treated all the sick children and conducted wellness exams on all the children at the Manjushree Orphanage.
Our Orthodontist, Dr. Elias Roshon, from Bangalore returned for his second trip to Tawang and continued with extractions and filling cavities. He provided fluoride treatments on all 214 children living and going to school at the Orphanage. He has also joined our advisory board to promote AD+ World Health in India and recruit physicians and health care professionals.
On this trip, our Executive Director, Debra Bergman and Lama Thupten Phuntsok, Director of the Manjushree Orphanage and School, in conjunction with our architect, Mark Shuler, determined that the site for the permanent clinic would move to another location on the campus. The new location has several advantages, which reduce the costs of building the clinic. Prior to our departure, the government helicopter, which operates between Guwahati and Tawang had a fatal accident killing 16 people and injuring the remaining 4. The Tibetan architect working with Lama Sir on other buildings at Manjushree ,was one of the injured. We await his recovering so he can interface with our American architect, Mark Shuler, who has designed clinic/infirmary/pharmacy. Fund raising continues for the building.
