Of Cobras Bites, Ghost Stockings, & Thanking Pigs
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| Dr. Bechtel with Staff of Department of Respiratory Medicine. Top row: Dr. Bechtel, Dr. D.J. Christopher, Dr. Anil. Front Row: Dr.Sujoy, Dr. Rhuna, Dr. Sophra |
I worked primarily in the new and developing Department of Respiratory Medicine under the very able direction of Dr. D. J. Christopher. The first patients I saw in the ICU were a young woman suffering from a cobra bite and a young man with falciparum malaria, neither illness encountered very often in Colorado! Too many patients present for medical care late in the course of their disease - e.g. tuberculosis, cancer, bronchiectasis - in part from poverty and also lack of education. All were grateful for the medical care provided, and on one occasion, a patient's family intercepted Dr. D. J. and myself in the pulmonary lab and knelt at his feet to deliver him darshan in appreciation for his care of their loved one.
CMC&H with about 2000 beds is one of the premier referral medical centers in India, attracting patients from Nepal in the North through Sri Lanka to the South. The hospital and staff practice sophisticated medicine, including CT, MRI and DSA scanning along with cardiac stenting and open heart surgery, in a wholesome Christian atmosphere.
Although
I observed and helped with bronchoscopies and patient ward rounds, because of my
clinical experience and India's stance on limiting hands-on patient care, I
worked more with developing and implementing medical systems and teaching.
I lectured to the
attending staff, house officers and medical students on
various topics, including asthma, early detection on lung cancer, and pulmonary
embolism; participated in interdepartmental conferences; performed bedside
teaching rounds with the medical students (on one occasion twenty showed up
instead of the anticipated four); and gave weekly teaching sessions to the
respiratory therapy staff. Later, I was able to help set up an asthma
provocation test and help with initial development of a cardiopulmonary
resuscitation policy and pulmonary rehabilitation program.
I found Dr. D. J. Christopher (who has a penchant for wearing socks decorated with tiny green ghosts) and his consultant, Dr. Anil Roy (who informed me with a giggle that I had not been thanking - nanri - people, but rather calling them a pig - panri - with my flawed Tamil language skills) to be two of the hardes working, most caring physicians I have ever worked with. Their kindness and friendship made for a wonderful experience at CMC&H. I thoroughly enjoyed this first volunteer effort and was made to feel that my contributions were helpful and appreciated.
Joel. J. Bechtel
At fifty-five years old and after twenty years of developing a fast-paced,
high stress pulmonary and critical care medical practice in Colorado, USA, my attorney
wife and I elected to take a "time out" three month mini sabbatical to
reappraise our priorities and lifestyles. After considerable thought and
much Internet research, we decided on volunteering at CMC&H in Vellore, India
for one and one-half months, followed by travel and biking through Australia for
the remaining time.