Healthcare to 12,000 poor in rural Bangalore

Dear donors,

Greetings from Bangalore Baptist Hospital.

When you give, you're transforming lives in more ways than you think. Thank you.

Here are some stories highlighting how your giving has allowed us to continue providing vital services to those in need. We are incredibly grateful for your kindness and generosity.

Sparkling with health

46-year-old Kennchamma is energetic and hopeful; her children immediately notice the difference. They see a spark in their mother’s eyes that they had never seen before and knew something had changed her. 

"I was sick a few months back. My diabetic level was high, and I fainted. My family thought I would never recover. Thankfully, your team took good care of me. You helped me with hospitalization at your hospital, ensured regular medication and check-ups at my doorstep and advised me to go for walks and eat nutritious food. I am blissful and grateful that I can live healthy despite my financial struggles,” says Kennchamma 

Threads of care

Although at 84, Munnisamayiah is resilient and can work for hours tending to silkworms and mulberry gardens, working became more arduous and often impossible once cataracts claimed his sight. A dangerous venture to cut the mulberry leaves because he could cut his hands with the chisel. He was a worried person. “I couldn’t do any work, and it affected the family. Silkworms need constant attention, and I was worried our livelihood was taking a toll,” he shared with our healthcare worker Madhu.

An initial screening at our Mother Theresa Hospital and surgery to remove his cataract at our main hospital helped him see clearly. He was overjoyed and could not contain his excitement. He spent the entire day tending to his silkworms and admiring their beauty. He was amazed at how much he had missed out on when his vision was impaired.

Overall, the restoration of Munnisamayiah’s vision profoundly impacted his life. “It’s nice to see my father back in action. He was rather dull before the surgery because he couldn’t do any work. He loves working,” shares his daughter laughing, who helps Munnisamayiah in the silkworm culture. It highlights the importance of access to eye care services, especially for people like Munnisamayiah, who depend on their vision to pursue their livelihoods.

Stability and Serenity

Subbamma’s mental health issues began manifesting soon after her husband’s death. She suffered from frequent headaches, stomach pain, and insomnia. She always felt anxious and stressed but didn't know how to express her feelings or seek help.

Subbamma is not alone. Many women in rural Bangalore face similar challenges with their mental health. They are expected to conform to traditional gender roles and often have limited access to healthcare and resources for mental health support. She was also hesitant to speak out about her struggles for fear of being judged or rejected by her community.

Identified by our healthcare worker, she attended our mental health clinic held in her village. She has been our patient for the past year. Over time, her mental health improved. She still faces challenges, but now she has a support system to turn to for help. She now enjoys caring for her cattle, fetching leaves and feeding fodder.

Subbamma’s story is just one example of the challenges faced by women in rural India when it comes to mental health. But it also shows that it is possible to overcome those challenges and lead a happier, healthier life with support and resources. 

When we become the heart healers and cheerleaders

It is the first visit for our team to see the 63-year-old Ratnamma. Dr Ravi studies her medical records and finds that the hospital has recommended palliative treatment for cancer in her mouth. The team got to know her and her family and listened carefully to her concerns and needs.

"Ratnamma, one injection, can I give you," Dr Ravi asks. Ratnamma nods and takes the prick. The nurse dressed her wounds, and after some time, Ratnamma started talking to Dr Ravi. They both chat cheerfully, talking about her younger days to how she wants to see her grandsons married. Ratnamma was relaxed, laughed, enjoyed our presence and cracked a few jokes with Dr Ravi.

“If we must take her to a hospital, we leave at 5 in the morning and return only at ten at night. She was so tired from all the travel. When we heard you would come home and care for our grandmother, that was a great relief,” gratified her grandson. 

We leave Ratnamma with our hearts filled to make the minuscule moment feel like magic and turn the darkest days into something bright. Our care and compassion comforted her, relieved her pain, and made her smile and laugh.

Your donations have significantly impacted our ability to carry out our mission, and we could not do it without you. Your contributions have helped us to provide healthcare, mental stability, palliative care and other essential health services to those who would otherwise go without. You have made a real difference in the lives of so many people, and we cannot thank you enough for your generosity.

Once again, thank you for your support. We hope you will continue to stand with us as we work to make a positive difference in the lives of those in need.

Sincerely

Carolin George

Dear donors,

Greetings from Bangalore Baptist Hospital. 

Thank you for your continued support. So, what does your giving accomplish? More than you can imagine. Your giving helps an older adult see his loving cousin clearly after a long time; a woman with mental illness darns and quilts her life, and a young man addicted to alcohol spreads layers of bricks to strengthen his life. We hope you’d enjoy reading the stories.  

Crystal clear cousin

Thanks to you, Thimmarayappah celebrates his new vision with his loving cousin. He is no longer scared that he will triple hurt himself or not clearly spot the infectious smile of his cousin with whom he has so many years of a loving relationship. Simple cataract surgery with your support has spruced the ties with the cousin. There's so much that these two catch up on daily.

For the poor, putting food on the table often precedes health care. So, paying attention to the dimness in the eye takes a back seat. But when donors like you give, you turn little moments into cherished memories. Thank you.

Healers of my heart

She calls us 'healers of her heart'. We healed her mind and heart when she was troubled. "I had no sleep in the night. I wanted to leave everyone and run out of the house. I couldn't concentrate on anything -I made many mistakes in my tailoring and lost all my clients,” she recalls her painful past.

She's been with our wellness team for the past six months.   No longer anxious, with no sign of palpitation, she has interlaced confidence and determination in her skills. Now, many of her lost clients throng her house with stitching orders.

Mental health is a hush matter even in the cities. And in the villages, it’s mostly hidden under the carpet. Our Wellness camps and clinics help the community understand that mental health is an illness we can overcome with counselling and medications.

Well spread life

Shivakumar took to alcohol when he was 16 years. His widowed mother, who had also lost another son, had to deal with Shivakumar's alcoholic behaviour. His addiction worsened, and the physical, mental, and emotional abuse he unleashed became more intense.

A 10-day residential deaddiction camp gave him the confidence to work on his abstinence. He regularly attended meetings arranged by Alcoholic Anonymous groups to stay clean. 

Working as a mason, he not only builds solid houses but secures a better future for himself too. "This is the best life I can have. I am earning, and my mother is happy. We eat good food and recently I bought clothes for my mother. And next year, I hope to get married," says the joyful Shivakumar. 

A residential deaddiction camp in villages is rare. And we are glad that we are filling this gap and transforming many in the villages.

Happy harvest

Padamma and Pilligowda have been our patients for the past ten years. “We do not want to go to any other clinic. We feel we are part of a family. The doctors at the hospital near our village speak our language, and we are comfortable,” appreciated both.

Regular checks on their health by our healthcare workers and their routine visits to our Mother Theresa Hospital in the village help them stay healthy. “If you do not care for our health, we wouldn’t be working in our field. If we work only, there will be food on the table,” they say.

Healthcare at their doorstep in the villages saves many lives. From a headache to severe complications, we guide them through diagnosis, medications, and referrals to our hospital in the city. Without our presence in the villages, the community must travel to the nearest town to get treatment, which has travel, money, and time implications.

Soothing art 

Bagyalakshmi is a fighter. Fighter from her young days. She has been mothering her nine siblings since her mother passed away when she was young. And when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she knew she had to fight it back. After her surgery and recovery, she’s back to her art store, where she paints and makes name boards.

“I need to earn. I have one more sister whom I must give in marriage. Then my duty is over,” she says as a matter of fact. What about you? We ask her. “My life? I have dedicated it to my family and now to art. Now you have come into my life—your medications relieve my pain. I don’t need to go to a hospital because you are coming to my doorstep. You and the art console me,” says Bagyalakshmi.

With our Palliative Care in villages, we listen, pause, and gently take them along to gracefully accept reality. Sometimes they wait for our team, especially those living alone, to talk and smile so that they forget their pain and agony. We aim to give them a painless and dignified life.

Again, thank you for all you do for our community. You are a part of their lives too.

Sincerely,

Carolin George

Dear donors,

Greetings from Bangalore Baptist Hospital.

Thank you for healing hearts and minds. The effects of COVID-19 have affected every person and stressed the importance of affordable healthcare like never before. We have focused on strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in the rural villages where we work during the reporting period by increasing the number of e-mobile clinics and home visits by healthcare workers and doctors. There has been a steep increase in the number of patients seeking treatment at our new campus and  Mother Theresa Hospital, both in rural sectors. A hospice for the poor is in the process to give painless days and comfort to those in their end-of-life care.

Thanks to friends and partners like you, those suffering from painful and often-preventable diseases find the healing they desperately need, and many more are waiting.

e-mobile clinics

Now, a fresh brush in his palette 

Narayanaswamy, his wife, grandchildren - Chikku, Ram, and his hen “Rukku” enjoy a lazy afternoon together. Conversations burst forward, memories of good times gush, and the togetherness after Narayanaswamy's almost brush with death due to a heart attack spawns a stream of freshness.

A regular patient to our previous "Smile on Wheels' clinic in his village, even with umpteen caution by us to give up smoking, Narayanaswamy couldn't break his chain-smoking.   "You gave me a second life to me," he says after getting discharged from our hospital. "No more smoking," he assures us. "My husband has found an emotional restoration in the attentive way your doctors and nurses cared for him and in the relationship we have built with you. The concession in the total bill and you guiding us in all the hospital procedures is a blessing," his wife gratifies. Now, he is regular to our e-mobile clinic when run in his village.

Springs of violets

Rising with the sun, Hema begins work in the garden, anticipating a promise of a new day. 

A few months ago, it was a different story. Often feeling exhausted and weary, she kept away from her work in the garden, which meant diluted income for her family.

Visiting our e-mobile clinic solved her health issues. After running a few regular tests, the doctor confirmed that she has diabetes. “Oh, this is no sweet news,” Hema muttered.  

Support to run a simple diabetes test, regular medication, exercises, and follow-up by our healthcare team spring freshness and paves the way for Hema and many others to get back to earn a living.

And you’re part of this transformation. 

From September to December 2021, we ran 1290 e-consultations and made 5890 home visits.

Rural clinics and hospital

From treating people to control diabetes to hypertension,  Mother Theresa Hospital (MTH) stands as a family for the community. They believe in us to take them through their struggles, pain and agony. Read the story of Lakshamma, who has reason to smile.

Smile, fixed

While some might view 75-year old Lakshamma’s loss of teeth as a sign of ageing, her grandchildren refuse to accept that her condition continues. They walked into our clinic at MTH along with their grandmother. Covering her mouth nervously, Lakshamma nudges her grandchildren to do the talking. She’s shy. “Grandma has lost her upper and lower teeth. She cannot eat, so she’s weak. She hardly talks to us,” they explained to Dr Reena.

With minimal access to safe and affordable dental facilities in their village, they were happy that Lakshamma’s treatment was at a reasonable rate.

After the procedure, when Lakshamma reached up to touch her mouth and found her set of teeth, her heart swelled with joy and gratitude. Now, she talks confidently and eats well to stay healthy.

From September to December 202, we treated 2483 patients, including general, dental, eye care, and dermatology and referred 150 patients to our hospitals who received concessions in their total medical bill.

Rural Palliative Care

Delicate threads, woven tightly

When life is too short, what matters is the feeling… experiencing life to the fullest without marring in any way. Our palliative care visiting rural villages helps the poor have painless and dignified lives at end-of-life care and adds an extra layer of support to the family members. Sometimes, the family suffers most from accepting that their loved ones may or may not live long and how they could give the care and treatment within their financial and emotional ability.

During our work with palliative care patients, we have ensured painless days, talked about a better nutritional diet, counselling families and patients, and built friendships and relationships. Consequently, sometimes, we are showered with love as a token of our care. One such example is the petite Mala. She’s the epitome of love; for her, everyone is a neighbour or a friend rather than a stranger.

She loves her husband, whom she knows will not live longer. “I bathe him, cleans his wounds, wash and change his bedsheet and clothes every day. You told me that he would feel comfortable,” she tells our nurses. She sprints to her backyard, plucks some flowers and gently places them in the hands of the nurse. “This is fresh; fresh as my love. I can never repay you. That’s too big. Only God can do,”. Our heartstrings melt, and the thread that holds us together is woven even more tightly.  

From September to December 2021, we visited 715 patients in their homes,

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey, offering so much to those who have so little.

Gratefully

Caroline George

Dear donors,

Greetings from Bangalore Baptist Hospital.

"There's a continuous flow of customers to my griding mill now, and so is my income," says a smiling and relieved Hanumantha. "My mill is regularly open now. Previously I would often fall sick due to diabetes and close my mill. I visited many hospitals; spent time and money, but my sugar level was always high. After I began my treatment with you, I feel better, and my sugar level has become normal now. Now with your e-mobile clinic in our village, it's even more convenient. I don't have to travel to see a doctor; I can see the doctor and talk to her on mobile. This is great," says an excited Hanumantha.

"Life was difficult during the second wave of COVID," whispered Leelamma, gazing at the ground. "We were terrified as to where could we go if there's an emergency. "Not many people came here to help us, and we have felt forgotten," she added. "But you have come. Thank you. Now, I am a regular visitor to the e-mobile clinic, and I can talk and clear all my doubts with the doctor. We are saving time and money. You are distributing my medicines at my doorstep," she gratefully tells our healthcare worker during an e-consultation.

Thank you. Because of you, all of this — and much more — is possible. Thank you so much for being committed to building a healthier environment for rural villages.

e-mobile clinics

With the spread of COVID, people are still hesitant to seek treatment from hospitals, and our e-mobile clinics, held in their villages, are seen as welcoming facilities. 

To ensure the patients receive proper treatment at the e-clinics, we have trained our healthcare workers to perform BP measurements, test GRBs tests. Depending on the readings, they connect patients to the doctors. Doctors prescribe the medicines, and our healthcare workers distribute the medicines. Our e-mobile clinics work well for chronic diseases and act as an effective triaging system for hospital referrals.

During June, July and August, through our e-mobile clinics, we treated 790 patients primarily for various ailments.

Mother Teresa Hospital in the village

Patients who are referred from e-mobile clinics visit Mother Teresa Hospital, where the doctors are physically available. 14-year-old Siri and her father experienced a severe toothache, and they found no relief from medicines bought over the counter in their village. Smiling after many days, they say, "We are so relieved. My daughter and I could not eat for days, and neither could we travel to the city to a hospital. We are happy that we came across you." A friendly atmosphere and close connection with the doctors and nurses make the community christen Mother Teresa Hospital "Our Hospital."

We treated 2161 patients at Mother Teresa Hospital for various diseases.

Concessional support to poor patients

From e-mobile clinics to Mother Teresa Hospital, patients who need emergency treatment, surgery are referred to our main hospital. Most of them are poor and cannot afford the treatment which they essentially need. Assessing their ability to pay, we offer a concession. Sometimes, the entire bill is written-off. 

49-year-old Ravi, a vegetable vendor who experienced severe pain from varicose, was referred from our Mother Teresa Hospital. Ravi is recovering after a few days at the hospital. Ravi came without any family members with unbearable pain. One of our team members helps him with all the hospital procedures, for he cannot walk and is an alien in a vast hospital. For someone who earns only US$4-5 a day, or there are times he does not earn even a dollar, and to a family which is no stranger to poverty, a hospital bill of US$ 350 would have been an impossible one to pay. If not for the concession, the poor such as Ravi would rather suffer and not get the treatment. We did waive off a considerable amount of his bill. 

Then there's this 24-year-old Prema, who has been diabetic from the age of 12 years. She dreamt of becoming a lab technician, but prolonged diabetes blighted her dreams. Always listless, she remained at home, needing her mother to take care of her. Her father, working hard as a farmer could barely feed this family. During COVID, her younger brother too lost his job. Now and then, she is in and out of our hospital. "We have no more tears to shed; you are the only saviour for us," the parents tell our healthcare worker whenever he visits them. With a concession in the hospital bill, Prema is recovering i is still looking forward to sparkle in her life.

Our care, treatment and the concession we offer is something that gives a touch of hope—a feeling of being loved and noticed.

Mental Health

With the emergence of COVID, one of the critical areas needing attention is mental health. Loss of lives, depression, livelihood robbed, and school closure–all bundled have created a new-found challenge. 

To help the community cope with such challenges, a team of physiatrists and phycologists travel to our camp in one of the villages, treating new and existing patients. With regular home visits, we track their progress, and they or any family member can call us for any emergency.

On a recent prison visit to provide a general health check-up, many prisoners and the authorities showed keen interest in counselling, anger management strategies and instilling peace. We are in the process of arranging further visits to the prison. Meanwhile, we have offered to run a dental check-up for the prisoners at our Mother Teresa Hospital. It looks that they have never had a dental check-up. 

Sujatha is one among the many people we have counselled, treated, provided medication and brought in a change in her life. Married to a person with alcoholic habits, Sujatha was depressed over many incidents. Even after her husband turned sober, she suffered from anxiety, suicidal ideation and a sudden burst of anger. Sujatha would sit the whole day without speaking to anyone.

Though she is still under our treatment, we were surprised to see her active and running behind her hens and goats, merrymaking on our recent visit.

Along with Sujatha, we are joyful, too, for we see a different Sujatha now.

We are encouraged by your continued support; it gives meaning to what we do. Some of you have been our long-term donors. Thank you for believing in us and our cause. We'd be grateful if you shared this report with your family and friends who, like you, would be keen to support the poor who face several challenges in seeking healthcare. 

Gratefully,

Carolin George

Dear donors,

Thank you for sprucing our efforts to innovate healthcare for the rural community, especially during the second wave of COVID-19.   Alongside the effects of COVID, the community must find ways to protect themselves from further complications of diabetes and hypertension. 

For the past few years, you have continually supported our Smile on Wheels project that took healthcare to the doorstep of the poor. With the arrival of COVID, the spread of the infection, lockdowns, and social distancing mushroomed, compelling us to halt the Smile on Wheels. However, people with complications of diabetes and hypertension were left without regular testing and medications which could lead to further complications. Therefore,  we had to interchange the Smile on Wheels with e-consultations in the rural villages and urban slums. 

It is sad to think that someone in a village or urban slums may not know that their diabetes and hypertension are at dangerous levels. It could be the sweet and loveable 70-year old widow like Nanchamma or a familied person struggling to provide for his family—like Muniraju.

"My medicines dried up; I was not sure if my diabetes and blood pressure were normal or way above," said Nanchamma when our healthcare worker Krishnamurthy met her in her house. Nanchamma's sullen face and disturbed mind were injected with fear and anxiety. "I haven't seen your doctor's face for the past two months," she said. Krishnamurthy told her about our e-consultation, and she could attend when we hold it next in her village. She shook her head in affirmation, though she clearly had doubts about his assurance. 

Nanchamma arrived for the e-consultation. She sat among the cluster of the other community members who had gathered. When the phone rang, she couldn't believe her eyes. She sprang from her chair, pranced towards the mobile and greeted the doctor. "I cannot believe it. Now I can talk to you?" she asked the doctor. She spoke endlessly about her dizziness, pain, loneliness, and healthcare dearth during COVD-19.

After the first e-consultation and the medicines in hand,  she already had more pep in her step. Although quiet and timid upon arrival, she left the hospital a spunky soul who was always smiling and giggling, anticipating freshness in her life.

45-year-old Muniraju's blood pressure and diabetes increased to a high level during COVID. But since he had a cold, no nearby clinics or hospitals were ready to treat him. An agriculturist, he was worried about not being able to work in his field. "I didn't know where we would get our next meal," he said. Nandish, our healthcare worker, advised him to join the e-consultation. Not only did we treat him for his diabetes and blood pressure, Nandish regularly checked on his temperature and oxygen level, even though he tested negative.  Muniraju is excited about returning to his field, and the entire family is relieved that healthcare through e-consultation was at their doorstep. They have buried their bag of worries and are working their way to lead healthy and pleasant life.

With your support, we conducted 779 e-consultations from March to May 2021. Our e-consultations are swelling the joy of the community, flooding relief and dotting their life with a puddle of resources to lead a healthy life.

Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated through this trying time so that we can continue to care for those who so desperately need hope and healing.

With gratitude,

Carolin George

Head – Community Health Division