Who are you?
We are three resident doctors who are completing our medical training in Toronto.
Why did you choose to go to Kolkata?
In Canada, we are fortunate to have an organized social structure with excellent access to medical resources. As training physicians we sometimes take our ability to order investigations and use state-of-the-art medical equipment for granted. We wanted to have an experience in a society that does not have such resources, and to see first-hand what it was like to practice medicine in a developing country.
Although we did not know much about Kolkata, we did know that it had a high rate of poverty and that many people suffered due to lack of medical care. It seemed like the ideal place to visit as part of our training, and to gain experience in doing international work, which we are interested in continuing in our future careers.
Why did you choose to work with the Toronto Calcutta Foundation?
We became aware of the amazing work that the Toronto Calcutta Foundation (TCF) was doing from their website. Not only were they a home-grown organization, they ran a medical clinic in Kolkata and had daily outreach rural medical clinics in various small villages outside of Kolkata. We were so grateful that the members of the TCF organization welcomed us to work in their clinics, as well as helping us to organize safe accommodations, connecting us with key contact people to act as liaisons, and giving us a primer on the healthcare system in Kolkata.
What work did you do in Kolkata?
We joined the outreach teams visiting various rural villages surrounding Kolkata. The teams consist of a doctor, nurses, coordinator, and a trusted member of the village community. We temporarily converted school rooms or club rooms into a medical clinic. Villagers came to the clinic and paid a very nominal fee to be seen, and then after a clinical exam were prescribed appropriate treatment. The medications were given without charge, and if the medication was not available, they were given a prescription for the cheapest generic version of the medication. Without the medical clinics run by TCF, the majority of these villagers would never have the opportunity or the financial ability to be seen by a doctor.
How did you contribute to the TCF?
We diagnosed and treated children, adults and seniors with various medical conditions such as infectious diseases, intestinal worms, asthma, diabetes, minor trauma and hypertension.
What did you learn from working in the TCF clinics?
We learned about true poverty. Unlike Canada, there is no welfare, food banks or shelters. In Kolkata, people must survive without much help from the government. Without NGO’s like the TCF, many people would suffer without any interventions. The Toronto Calcutta Foundation makes a big difference in these villagers’ lives by running schools, medical clinics and eye camps. They give free medications, eyeglasses and teach preventative healthcare. TCF is a highly respected organization in these villages and help people that no one else does.
Would you work with TCF again?
It was our honour and privilege to work with the TCF this year, and we hope to continue to work with the TCF in the future. It was wonderful to see first-hand what this organization does, and to see that it uses all money donated to help the people of Kolkata. TCF is an admirable NGO that we would not hesitate to donate our time and money to again.
In fact, we would like to establish a long-term relationship between the University of Toronto and the TCF, so that other resident doctors are able to work at TCF clinics in the future. The best way to encourage Canadian doctors to volunteer their time and expertise to developing countries is to have first-hand exposure during their training period.
