This is my second time in India and I was
prepared to be flexible, expect power cuts and among other things. This has
been the first time I have been to northern India and is very different from my
time in the South of India. This had prepared me to adapt to change but I was
not prepared for the Cheni stairs or what interns call affectionately as “Death
stairs” which test my fitness levels every day.
In my first week in Naddi not knowing what I
would be working on or what I will do, seeing one constant thing was accidents.
These accidents ranged from small scrapes to bigger types of accidents. I
quickly found out that there was no hospital or medical facility in Naddi. The
medical facilities located in Dal Lake are a ten-minute car ride and the Zonal
hospital in Dharamshala is almost thirty minutes away. This can be fatal if
injuries are life threatening or urgent medical attention is needed. This can
have an adverse impact on family, friends and the community. This can affect the
economic mobility for families also due to death of the main breadwinner in the
family.
Curable diseases such as diarrhoea and
other infections can be life threatening if treatment is not given or the lack
of access to a medical facility. These are important in living a healthy life
without worrying about where the closest hospital or medical facility is
located. People in the village find alternative ways to get to a hospital through the kindness
of people in the community to help each other out is something that is
invaluable and can save a life. This is what I have learned in my time here in
Himachal and the warmth of the community here is immeasurable.
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| View from Naddi |
Shirly Kumar - Australia
Centre Coordinator in Naddi
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