We concluded our fifth four day camp at JSS Hospital in Mysore on Friday afternoon, November 9. It was a very busy camp, with 242 women screened and numbers of medical students, faculty, guests from Biocon and Rotary coming to observe. We were up to the challenges however, as we had an incredible team of four volunteers -- Dr. Debra Levinsky, Dr. Ginger Ruddy, Dr. Marie Johantgen, and Lauren Sokolik, FNP. While Lauren and I did most of the out front work, Rhoda and the doctors kept the screening tables "turning over" throughout the four days. One vo;unteer had too return home suddenly on the morning our camp was to start, due to a death in the family -- an event that made us all very sad!
The reason for this fifth camp was to solidify a LEEP referral center at JS hospital, to further our contribution to the course work for Gynecology students, to foster planning for a large scaling up of the PINCC protocols over the coming years, and to continue to build on the collaborations that we have been establishing across Mysore.
On the first evening, we were treated to a second meeting with the Swamiji of JSS who continues to be committed to our program. We started out with him, along with two research pharmacists from Penn State, and then went for "prasadum" (gift snacks) in his special dining room. We (just PINCC) were called back for a further few minutes after the light dinner. Auspiciously enough, he and Marie Johantgen were on the same flight out of Bangalore Friday night!
Following two wonderful weekend days of touring local palaces, tomb, battle sites, temples and gardens, we went on Monday morning to help Inaugurate PHRII's (our main Mysore partner) new larger women's clinic. Then we went for meetings with the medical college principal to talk further about curriculum, and also about how to scale up these screening and prevention services.
On Tuesday, the three remaining team members, Dr. Rhoda, Lauren and I, go to Bangalore for a Wednesday morning site-visit with the Biocon Foundation clinic doctors. We have rising doubts that it we can create a screening program in Biocon, but will give it a great effort.
On Wednesday evening the three of us head for Puttaparthi for a 6 day (1 day for Lauren) "time-out" at our Ashram. Then we will do further site visits in Hyderabadand the Indo-American Cancer Hospital and in Siliguri at the Sunitha Cancer Society
John
John Adams
Sustainable Living in the Mother Lode
209 728 9432
415 385 8388 (Mobile)
www.home.comcast.net/~jadams2212/
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