Healthcare to 12,000 poor in rural Bangalore

Dear donors

 Greetings from Bangalore Baptist Hospital Society!

 It is indeed my pleasure to touch base and report on the happenings over the past three months in our project “taking healthcare to the door step” of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups and people living in the rural parts of Bangalore. This is possible only because of you and your gracious support; you have helped bring a smile in exchange of sadness, joy to replace sorrow and hope to end despair! Many lives have been touched and transformed because of your generosity and kindness. Thank you!

 For the poor and marginalized, life is exceedingly tenuous. The lack of food, clean water, sanitation, poor access to quality healthcare causes so much pain, turmoil, despair and hopelessness! Lifting them out of this pit is our mission and I’m glad you are a partner in this noteworthy mission. God bless you and yours!

Shiva's story reveals the consequences being uninformed, neglecting symptoms and not getting timely help! Shiva didn’t know that if you ignore high blood pressure, it can leave you dead due to a heart attack or disabled due to a stroke and consequently lead a poor quality of life. “Whenever I had profound sweating or giddiness, I brushed it aside and blamed it on the summer heat, said Shiva.” But when Nandish, our healthcare worker heard this, he was alarmed. He realized that Shiva’s symptoms were not due to the summer heat and cannot be ignored.  Nandish advised him to attend our mobile clinic that was visiting Shiva’s village the following day. 

 Dr. Priya managing the rural mobile clinic that day took note of his symptoms and found his blood pressure to be very high. She gave him some immediate treatment and advised him to change his lifestyle and take medications regularly. A series of tests at our rural hospital revealed his cholesterol levels were high. This was also treated.

Shiva changed the way he lived based on advice he got at the mobile clinic. He got used to the change in his food habits, that his wife insisted he followed. He began to enjoy his morning walks. He never missed his daily medication. He even advised his wife, who has a thyroid problem to strictly follow medications and attend the mobile clinic regularly. “He is a completely changed person now,” she chuckles. During his morning walks, he greets his friends cheerfully, bragging about how a visit to our mobile clinic changed his life and renewed his health. His friends began to notice Shiva’s liveliness and wondered what the magic was?

 This is what you have helped us do…..touch lives with love, care, compassion and save lives!  You are the reason why we can take medical care close to homes of people, where none exists; it could be as simple as checking their blood pressure or sugar level, deliver much-needed medication and medical supplies at very affordable costs, and thus saves lives!

 Through your support, we were also able to reach out to 68-year old Gangamma. Gangamma is a widow and survives on her meagre old age pension and intermittent agricultural work in the nearby field. One day,  Madhu, our healthcare worker was on his routine rounds and home visits. When he entered Gangamma’s house, he saw that she was clearly in distress. She was pointing to her lower stomach area and complained of pain. Madhu advised her to come to the mobile clinic that was coming to her village.  Dr. Shilpa at the mobile clinic, examined her and suspected that Gangamma had an infection in her uterus and started her on treatment. Gangamma’s infection was controlled and she was relieved of pain. Though she feels sorrowful about her loneliness (her children do not visit her), she's comforted by the regular visits of Madhu, and says, "the only visitor I get is Madhu."

 Like Gangamma there are many other women in poor health needing your support; not only to overcome their physical ailments, but also to overcome their loneliness and isolation.

Thanks to your love and support, we reached 6125 people who needed healthcare through our mobile clinics

•  Treated  2713 patients through our mobile clinics, ensuring the poor enjoyed quality and affordable care
• Performed 1073 GRBS in our mobile clinics – helping the community to adapt a healthy life.
• Completed 40 cataract surgeries – enabling the elders to have a better vision – many of them live alone.
• Treated  2298 diabetic patients, helping them to keep their sugar levels under control and protecting them from further complications

 We love what we do; but we cannot do it alone - and we need your support. We hope you'd continue to help us make a difference in the lives of the poor.

 With gratitude,

 Gift Norman

 “Our lives are worthless if we ignore human need”