Anveshane is the open canvas for the interns to pen their experiences, thoughts, reflections, questions, challenges, ideas and memories.
Generally, an internship consists of an exchange of services for experience between the student and an organization. Students can also use an internship to determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain school credit. Some interns find permanent, paid employment with the organizations with which they interned. This can be a significant benefit to the employer as experienced interns often need little or no training when they begin regular employment. However, employment at the completion of an internship is not guaranteed.
These Internships are open to high school students, college or university students and post-graduate adults from both India and abroad. The areas of internship include Medicine, science, law, management, business, media and mass communications, technology and advertising. These are unpaid voluntary positions lasting 4 weeks to one year.
The different types of internships include Work experience positions, including shadowing, research internships as well as virtual internships.
All the internship programs are co-conceived methodically by the participants under guidance of their mentor Dr. Dayaprasad G Kulkarni - a medical doctor, public health specialist, entrepreneur, artist and development consultant.
To know more or to apply, write to: volunteer@aarogyaseva.org
(as posted originally in https://interfacesofhealth.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/health-post-medical-camps-in-rural-villages/)
Last week I traveled to Bhopal, the tier-two capital city of Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India. I was there to participate in a health camp called Medical Yatra, which is an annual event to bring healthcare services to rural villages across the country. Each year, the Medical Yatra team convenes in a new city and spends ten days traveling out to neighboring villages. It’s a joint effort by an association of India physicians of Northern Ohio, local hospitals, the non-profit foundation Aarogya Seva, and the Rotary International club (http://www.aarogyaseva.org/medical-yatra-2017/).
Aarogya Seva’s slogan is “Promoting Healthcare Volunteerism.” While I wasn’t planning on doing any volunteering on the Watson, I felt humbled to be included in the group and able to contribute in some way.
I heard about the camp because a company I interviewed for the project, MyCliniCare, was going to attend for a few days to bring their technology along with the medical supplies. MyCliniCare provides a telemedicine solution in the form of a suitcase for on-the-go healthcare. The suitcase, which can be brought to any rural area, has many small medical devices and monitors along with a laptop that synthesizes the collected data and connects to a trained doctor over a video call.
The MyCliniCare team and me in our volunteer t-shirts! The MyCliniCare suitcase is in the shot as well.Dr. Dayaprasad, founder and director of the Aarogya Seva foundation, giving a presentation to medical students in Bhopal about the various medical diagnostic devices included in the MyCliniCare telemedicine kit.Here, Gururaja of MyCliniCare is demonstrating the telemedicine setup by pointing the multipurpose otoscope into his mouth. The resulting image of his throat is displayed on the projection screen, which is what a doctor would see remotely.
One new addition to MyCliniCare’s set is the iBreastExam device, a handheld sensor for breast tumor screening. Using piezoelectric sensors, the device checks for lumps in a patient’s breasts and delivers a result in 5-10 minutes; if it finds anything, a mammogram follow-up is required. In each village that we visited, the MyCliniCare team set up a private place for their technician to screen women with iBreastExam.
The iBreastExam handheld device is pink and white, and it delivers real-time results to the connected app.In the same room as the breast tumor screening, we performed ECGs with this portable device (which also sends its results to a smartphone app, connected via WiFi).
Though I initially intended to tag along with the MyCliniCare team and simply observe, I ended up becoming a full volunteer for a few days since the health camp needed the help. For the first two days, I teamed up with a doctor to run the blood-test station. The doctor spoke to the patients in Hindi and pricked their fingers to get blood, and I took the samples and ran the tests with the devices we had brought. We had a small hemoglobin device to test for anemia and a small glucometer to test for high blood sugar.
The HemoCue hemoglobin meter that we used. Incidentally, it is made by a Swedish company!Medicines set up by the pediatricians in the same room as the blood testing.
After months of interviewing people about attitudes towards health and medical technology in rural India, it was invaluable to see those very attitudes in front of me. It felt like all of a sudden I had gone from using secondary sources for my information to primary sources. Most of the villagers were comfortable getting their blood drawn and tested, as it was a simple and quick procedure that was explained to them in Hindi. However, they rarely reacted to the results due to a general lack of awareness of how much blood sugar was too much and what that meant, as well as what the purpose of hemoglobin testing was.
A few of the villagers, especially the children, were scared to get their fingers pricked and found it quite painful (making very familiar cringing faces!). One woman in the village of Tumda sat down for a blood test, had her finger swabbed with alcohol, took one look at the little lancet that was about to pierce her fingertip, and started cursing in Hindi and nearly ran out the door. I was stunned that she hadn’t realized what a blood test entailed. Her reaction reminded me of a few interviews I’ve had here in which people have told me that many Indian patients, especially in rural areas, are resistant to invasive procedure from finger-pricking to surgery.
Tumda Village.As things quiet down in Tumda, the volunteers show each other how to read a classic blood pressure monitor.
As part of the camp, I traveled to the villages of Seoni, Tumda, and Berasia. I was happy that my fellow volunteers were mostly Indian; I wonder if the villagers were a bit put off by my presence (being an obvious foreigner), and it was challenging not knowing Hindi. So it was good to stay useful, and it was fascinating for me to be around so many doctors volunteering their services. Of course, the question of sustainability is always important: how do these one-off health camps help the villagers if we can’t come back to the village? The doctors I asked told me that some care is always better than no care, and the big problem is awareness – many villagers are not aware of their medical issues or how to address them. At least with a visit from specialists via this type of health camp, patients can get the right information and seek the appropriate care at a more accessible (and permanent) health center or hospital. The Medical Yatra team keeps track of all the patients that need to be referred to specific hospital departments, and they send those lists to the nearby hospitals, who then send vans to the villages to pick up the patients for free treatment at their facilities. Also, most patients do have a mobile number, so we can at least call to follow up.
The school in Seoni where we set up camp.Medical Yatra volunteers registering patients for treatment.In Bhopal, we visited this government center making prosthetic limbs and offering rehabilitation techniques. Professor Schull, on the left, was interested in comparing their design to his 3D-printed prosthetic designs.One of Professor Schull’s 3D-printed prosthetic prototypes.The internal medicine room that we set up at Berasia village. The hallway just outside the room was packed wall-to-wall with patients all day.Dr. Ramesh Shah, a volunteer from Ohio.
I’m very grateful to MyCliniCare and the Aarogya Seva foundation for letting me join their effort for a few days. It was inspiring to meet so many hard-working doctors and actually operate the type of medical devices I’ve been thinking about throughout my project.
Iyesha just completed her first year the University of California, Davis, where she is working towards a B.S. in Computer Science. During her first year at Davis, she took various programming classes in which she built many games and applications. Iyesha is also very involved in the Health Sciences and was a California State Officer for HOSA (a national health care organization). Iyesha is looking forward to working with Aarogya Seva, where she can combine her passions to make an impact on the quality of life of people around the world.
I recently graduated with a BSE in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University, New Orleans and I am now in Rwanda for two months working as a Coordinator for Engineering World Health, an NGO from the US which empowers engineering students to repair medical equipment in developing countries, including Rwanda. I have experience teaching people to use 3D printers, and I am helping FAWE Gisozi Girls' Secondary School install and learn to use a Replicator printer while I am here in Rwanda.
"My name is Aditi. I have completed my engineering in Biotechnology and I'm all set to begin my Master's in Public Health at the University of Massachusetts- Amherst this Fall. That young minds are impressionable, is well-established and in my case the impressions of my childhood are a large part of the reason I put pen to paper today. In retrospect, growing up around my father's brother –a para medical officer at the Indian Council of Medical Research – has had a significant influence on my outlook to life. My uncle dedicated himself to the eradication of leprosy. As part of his job, he would visit countless villages leading a crusade against leprosy and the stigmatization suffered by those who suffer from it, infallibly returning home with fruits to eat and endless stories that invariably involved changing people’s lives for the better. At that age, I could only grasp a fraction of what he did, and only got a sense of the number of lives he had touched at his funeral procession, where a huge number of his patients and colleagues turned up – mourning like they had lost one of their own. Through my uncle's example, I learnt that leaders have a bias for action. They invest themselves fully into their people and purpose, knowing that in the long run, all the time and energy will be worth it. This is exactly what I am looking to take back from my internship at Aarogya Seva. Added to this, I will have the chance to interact with a group of extremely dedicated people from all backgrounds, majors and experiences. I’m sure the experience will be meaningful and humbling. "
I am an Engineering graduate from SASTRA University focused on Biotechnology. I will be beginning my Master of Public Health course in the University of Minnesota, Twin cities in a couple of months. The ultimate goal for me to make healthcare accessible for every person and I strive to work towards it. I believe that this internship in Aarogya Seva would be an important step in achieving my goal. I will be a part of the 3-D printed prosthetic limbs project. I am hoping to work with everyone involved in this project and contribute significantly to it. During my work as a Research Assistant in Indian Institute of Public Health, I had witnessed the healthcare inequity in India during my field visits and I would like to work for this situation to change. In my free time, I love reading, and historical fiction and non-fiction is my favorite genre currently.
I graduated from SRM University in Chennai, India in 2015. I have been working with an NGO that educates underprivileged kids. Working there has taught me a lot about life and how certain things I take for granted can be huge life altering thing for another person. It has truly changed my perspective on life. I want to put my education to use and do more for the world around me, that is the inspiration behind everything I do, including taking up a project with AarogyaSeva.
Seva to me means, "A commitment to my community to change it for the better in anyway I can"
I am Aakash Manapat and I have just completed my 9 th Grade at GEAR Innovative International School, Bangalore. I am a person who loves to have new experiences and am defined by my curiosity to learn as much as I can. I enjoy spending time outdoors with my friends. Swimming, playing badminton and long distance running are some activities that I really enjoy with my friends. Outdoor camping trips and hiking are my favorites. I am most happy as I learn new things, be it by reading a book or the things I see on a hiking trail. My Strengths and weaknesses: My strength lies in my thirst for knowledge and my curiosity to know more. My ability to quickly grasp concepts and learn have also pushed me to take things too easy. Debating, gathering information, logical Intelligence, Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, natural intelligence are some of my other strengths. My Interests and Hobbies: Reading, Playing badminton, long-distance running.
I was placed with Aaorgayseva as part of my 6 month IDEX fellowship. Time has flown so quickly. When I first came I thought there would be so much time to do so many things. Yes we did achieve a lot during my time here though there is still much to be done.
The highlight of my time here was having the opportunity to join the 2016 AIPNO Medical Yatra. It was a different way to see the country, meet the locals and make new friends. It was an unforgettable time where we all had to be flexible, creative and patient with limited supplies and language barriers. The thing about the Yatra is that it is not just about going out there and helping community it also included a visit to a girls boarding school, a women's empowerment project and Republic Day Festivities whilst staying in an Ashram. The other volunteers were an inspiration especially given that large majority were in their late 60s and had been doing this for the past 10 years and will continue to do so as long as they are able.
I am really proud that I took the leap to come to India. To anyone considering a move from what they know I certainly say do it. I feel that unless and until you challenge yourself and do what you fear you don’t really give yourself a chance to learn, grow and really know who you are. It is in those times of worries and insecurity we realise just what is most important to us.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their warm hospitality and hope that our paths will cross again. I look forward to being updated on what Aarogayseva is doing both in India and around the world.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AarogyaSeva and AarogyaSeva does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
To get in touch with the author or to join our team write to us at – Volunteer@aarogyaseva.org
Charanya is pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology at UTHealth in Houston, Texas. Her research interest focuses on improving healthcare access and quality for underprivileged populations. Prior to starting her MPH program, she taught high school chemistry and coached tennis with Teach for America in Harlingen, Texas. A Native of Pittsburgh, PA, Charanya graduated from Washington and Jefferson College with a double-major in Cell & Molecular Biology and Spanish. Charanya will work with Aarogya Seva for two months to investigate TB and HIV co-infection at Accept, a HIV care center on the outskirts of Bangalore.
If you’re in Mumbai this Friday and Saturday please drop by to say hi Poornima Sukumar and help out on the Aravani Art Project.
Aarogyaseva is proud and excited to sponsor and support The Aravani Art Project on this initiative in association with Humsafar Trust.
Poornima is the Aarogyaseva artist in residence and she started the Aravani Art Initiative. You will remember that for International Women's Day in March Poornima was one of the artists who beautifully decorated our now open free clinic in Jayanagar Bangalore Mahabodhi Aarogyaseva Kendra.
The Aravani Art Project aims to use art as a medium to bring the community together with particular emphasis on inclusion of the transgender community. They have been doing projects across India most recently in Bangalore.
Poornima first became involved in the transgender community through working on a documentation with Tabs Breese and wanted to stay connected and involved afterwards. Her aim is to eventually expand the project across the world to give the third gender a voice and to encourage acceptance across the world.
Aravani Art Project has also been featured in The Hindu and Good.
If you want to find out more and support please head to their Facebook page.
It’s not too late to help! They are still after artists, scaffolding builders, buskers and magic markers. Anything you can do to help would be much appreciated including just dropping by to say hi. Aravani Art Project is also going to Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata. We'll let you know when it does.
Don’t forget we’re also looking for more volunteers for our clinic Mahadohi Aarogayseva Kendra in Bangalore. So drop us a line at Volunteer @aarogyaseva.org
We look forward to sharing some photos next week on the event. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AarogyaSeva and AarogyaSeva does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
To get in touch with the author or to join our team write to us at – Volunteer@aarogyaseva.org
Today was the Inauguration of our free medical clinic Mahabodhi Aarogyaseva Kendra.
It has taken a long time and much help. The foundation stone for the centre was first laid in 2012.
It was a beautiful ceremony with blessings and speeches.
In attendance was
Venerable Kassapa Mahathera President, MBS
Sri Ramalinga Reddy, Honourable Minister of Transport Government of Karnataka
Dr Ravi Gopal Verma, Lead Consultant of Neurosciences, Aster CMI Hospital, former Prof and Head of Dept of Neurosurgery MS Ramaiah Medical College
Monks from Mahabodhi Society
Following the blessing we were honoured to begin our free medical camp led by Dr K B Lingegowda and Dr Ravi
Here are first pictures of patients being seen:
The Mahabodhi Meditation Centre was also inaugurated today. This is co-located/ upstairs from the clinic.
As was spoken of by our guests, we hope that this is the beginning of centres which combine holistic view of treatment including brain and mind. Without treating the other would be incomplete.
This was following by a delicious lunch provided by Mahabodhi Society.
Please come down and see the clinic and meditation centre when you get the chance.
We are also keen for more volunteers so if you have some time this summer please get in touch.
Also we note that Maha Bodhi Society has their 2560th Sacred Buddha Jayanti Celebrations on right now with activities planned all week. This includes
Cancer Patients Service Day on 17th May from Noon at Dharmashala Kidwai Institute of Oncology
One Day Children's Dhamma Camp on 18th May from 9am to 4pm at Maha Bodhi Auditorium Maha Bodhi Society
Burns Patient Service Day on 19th May from 3:30pm at Medical Education Seminar Hall Victoria Hospital
Animal Service Day on 20th July from 10am at People for Animals Kengeri
Vesakha Sacred Buddha Purnima Day on 21st July from 9am at Mahabodhi Loka Shanti Buddha Vihara
If you have the chance we invite you to join in the above festivities.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AarogyaSeva and AarogyaSeva does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
To get in touch with the author or to join our team write to us at – Volunteer@aarogyaseva.org
May is mental health awareness month and I believe that given the recent news on farmer suicides in India mental health needs to be talked about.
Did you know that every year more than 800,000 people take their own lives? That is one death every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. It is estimated for every death another 20 attempt to take their own lives. Suicides can be prevented and effective interventions exist with the most important being early identification and support.
WHO advises the following measures in prevention and control of suicide:
reducing access to the means of suicide (e.g. pesticides, firearms, certain medications);
reporting by media in a responsible way;
introducing alcohol policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol;
early identification, treatment and care of people with mental and substance use disorders, chronic pain and acute emotional distress;
training of non-specialised health workers in the assessment and management of suicidal behaviour;
follow-up care for people who attempted suicide and provision of community support.
The link with suicide and mental health particularly depression is well established though it is still a complex issue with many variables that contribute. It is important to note that no single event is the cause and suicide usually is culmination of many things occurring over time. Depression affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
Symptoms of depression are low energy and interest in activities, persistent sadness, reduced social interactions and difficulty in everyday tasks.
Here are a number of ways you can tackle depression
Increase physical activity
Give yourself time to relax and meditate
Write down your thoughts and feelings
Eat well and aim to sleep for 6-8 hours a night
Find someone you can talk to
Today, please look out for yourself and each other.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AarogyaSeva and AarogyaSeva does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
To get in touch with the author or to join our team write to us at – Volunteer@aarogyaseva.org
I graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa this past May. Originally from Chicago, IL, I attended university to study Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology with a concentration in Global and Comparative Public Health. I've worked many odd jobs to help pay for school– pathology technician, oncology laboratory assistant, and junior epidemiologist at the state department, just to name a few.
My experience from these jobs, along with my compassion for social justice and philanthropy, has led me to pursue a career in medicine. I will start medical school this coming August, with the intent of working in some sort of global health setting after graduation. I strongly believe that health is a fundamental human right, and I want to work to help secure and promote that right throughout the world.
Seva to me means "A commitment to humanity and dedication to justice, pursuing what is just." When I am not studying, you can find me on the soccer pitch, rock climbing, or backpacking!
WHO estimated that in 2015 nearly 3.2 billion people or about half the world’s population were at risk of malaria across 97 countries and territories. Though the majority of these cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa those in Asia, Latin America and even the Middle East are at risk.
It is estimated that there were 214 million cases of malaria and 438,000 deaths. It’s not all bad news though as since 2001 it is estimated that 6.2 million lives have been saved. Furthermore between 2000 and 2015, malaria mortality rates among populations at risk has decreased by 60% with the incidence among populations at risk falling by 37% globally.
So just what is Malaria? It is a a preventable and curable disease caused by parasites spread through bites from infected female mosquitoes. Those most vulnerable are young children, pregnant women and non-immune travellers from malaria free areas.
Symptoms
Initial symptoms include fever, headache chills and vomiting which can make it hard to diagnose and recognise as malaria especially given symptoms usually occur 10-15 days after being bitten In severe cases multi organ involvement is frequent. For those who live in malaria endemic areas they may have developed partial immunity allowing asymptomatic infections to occur
Treatment
As with most diseases, early diagnosis and treatment is the aim to reducing further spread and mortality. Unfortunately like TB, resistance to antimalarials is one of the challenges to effective treatment. Fortunately at this time anti-malarial drug resistance is geographically isolated in the Greater Mekong Subregion (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. As such additional support is being provided to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria in this region.
Source: WHO World Malaria Report 2015
Prevention
WHO recommends the following vector controls:
Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets
Indoor Residual Spraying
Use of antimalarial medicines for travellers, pregnant women and children living in malaria prone areas
Clinical trials of the most malaria vaccine (RTS, S/AS01) is underway and shows promising results. The vaccine was developed as a partnership between GSK (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) and MVI (PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative) with support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as network of African research centre.
RTS, S/AS01 works against the most deadly form of malaria which also happens to be the most prevalent in Africa. It is being used alongside other more established preventative techniques given that additional trials and registration/testing is still underway.
Research and development of other malaria vaccines is also underway though are not as far advanced nor show as much promise as RTS, S/AS01.
It is noted that there are no licensed vaccines against malaria or any other human parasite.
The World Health Assembly adopted an ambitious but achievable strategy in 2015 by 2030
Reducing by at least 90% the rate of new malaria cases
Reducing the death rates of malaria by 90%
Elimination of malaria in at least 35 countries
Ensuring that malaria-free countries remain that way
Unfortunately it is estimated that to reach these goals the spending for malaria treatment and prevention needs to triple over the next 15 years to US$8.7 billion by 2030.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AarogyaSeva and AarogyaSeva does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
To get in touch with the author or to join our team write to us at – Volunteer@aarogyaseva.org
