The 15th Free Surgical Camp A Record Setting Year! | Full Report 2012

March 15, 2012

2012 proved to be a record-setting year for the Free Surgical Camp with the completion of 900 examinations and over 230 surgeries in 11 days! The Team traveled from here and yon, including Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Utah, Washington and India. The meeting place was the First Transit Hotel just outside the Hyderabad International Airport, Hyderabad, India after a 24 hour trip. We were joined at breakfast by our friends Sagar, Head of the ARMS grade and high school for disadvantaged children, and T.L.Reddy, founder of the Clap Schools, Mobile Schools, Boys Hostel, and Women’s Help Centers.

These are Hyderabad projects started and funded by our supporting 501c3 organization Friends Of Christ In India based in Fairfield, Connecticut. In addition we met with Bishop Devamani of the Church Of South India whose diocese owns St. Mary`s Mission Hospital, John Mark, president of the Christian Service Unit which facilitates our work in Khammam and Mr. Jayasheeluda, hospital administrator. After our business meeting our bus was loaded and we departed for Khammam at 10AM, arriving at 4:30PM after 200+km of bad roads and alarming traffic.

The Surgical Team unpacked and stowed 10 duffle bags of surgical supplies, all of which were donated by supporters from the USA (four duffles were “misplaced” by the airlines and retrieved 8 days later only after 2 members of our team traveled back to Hyderabad to sign for them in person at the customs office). After dinner at John & Vasantha Mark’s, we turned in early, exhausted from the trip and the 10 ½ hour time change.

Monday morning the 15th Annual Free Surgical Camp commenced with the screening of 180+ patients so far enrolled to be seen. that day. Almost all patients are Hindu and speak only Telegu, one of 700 dialects spoken in India. The patients came in a steady stream. We scheduled a few patients for minor surgery that afternoon, all under local anesthesia. Dr.’Joe, and Dr. Dirk, Cath, and Monali did them, Sister Deborah passing instruments and Joe Murray giving sedation as needed, while George and the others continued to screen patients for the rest of the day. We finished screening clinic at 8PM, having seen all who were there. Joe IV, using his MBA management skills, opened up 2 additional exam rooms in the recently renovated clinic which did a lot to ease the congestion that always comes with the first day screening.

Tuesday, after breakfast which included the new favorite “banana-flavored corn flakes”, the real work in the OR started. Dr. Gopi Chand, our great friend and extremely capable anesthesiologist who has a private practice in Khammam arrived on schedule. We have been working with Gopi Chand since George and his wife Betsy started the Free Surgical Camp in 1999. He is a terrific asset to our program and a first rate anesthesiologist. In addition to his caring for he patients, he always helps the anesthesia pros we bring from the USA “adjust” to the somewhat outdated settings and drugs with strange names .

The addition of Joe Murray, CRNA was a significant factor in our completing a record number of operations. Anesthesia-Joe proved himself not only capable, but worked seamlessly with Gopi Chand. He did innumerable spinals, and relieved many of their anxiety with sedation during the operations performed under local anesthesia. His kind manner and sense of humor were infectious.

Sister Deborah, Head Nurse and OR scrub nurse since 1999 with her assistants Sister Sharamma and Mary ran a tight ship, turning cases over in minutes. We missed Sister Vimalamma whose husband, 81, had suddenly passed the night we arrived. Fro those not familiar, nurses in India are called “sister”, a tradition inherited from the Raj. Our Nurses work 12-14 hours a day with a 10 minute “chai” break AM and PM, and a half hour for lunch, about 2:00PM.

We finished 17 cases Tuesday. Each day we did between 15 and 32 procedures, averaging 23 cases a day. The case mix was about the same as in the past: hernias, both incisional and inguinal, hydrocoeles of all sizes, thyroid tumors and goiters, hysterectomies, rectal and breast cases, burn scar releases and skin grafts, one for the consequences of a snake bite.( See the accompanying Surgical case list.) There were the usual mystery cases which defied our diagnosis and treatment. These patients were referred to Mamata, the local private medical school. Mamata is very selective about the patients it accepts however these patients are treated for free. Some major cases, particularly extensive malignancies are sent to a cancer hospital in Hyderabad and unfortunately some problems are so far advanced that there is nothing anyone can do.

Surgery, anesthesia, post operative hospital care , drugs and supplies are provided by the Free Surgical Camp at no cost to the patients.

Professor Dirk Noyes is a surgical oncologist with special interest and training in head and neck tumors. Thus we were able to treat all of the thyroid and other head and neck tumors which we encountered. Cath Noyes scrubbed with her husband on many cases. In addition she spent many hours organizing our new surgical storage areas.

Dr. Joe’s son, Joe Bardenheier (IV) Jr, a Boston business man, was a great help in the OR, scrubbing on cases with his Dad, Dirk and George. He also gave John Mark and Mr Jayasheeludu (Mr.J), our new Hospital Administrator, good advice in managing hospital financial and equipment needs and worked with them on a business plan for the hospital and clinics. Joe Jr, putting his wallet where his mouth is, gave the Hospital funds for a new computer system to update record keeping and financial data. Thanks, Joe, from everyone.

Mr. Jayasheeludu, the new Administrator, was hired by Bishop Devamani as a first and much needed step toward building St. Mary’s Mission Hospital (SMMH) into a good, functioning, year-round medical facility serving the poor, complete with full time and part time Specialists. Bishop Devamani extended us a great courtesy, and came from Vellore to Hyderabad just to meet with us Sunday AM, January 9th. George, Joe B., Dirk, John Mark, Mr J., Joe Jr, met with the Bishop and worked out a partnership agreement between the Bishopric and FOCI (our 501c3 USA organization). Together we hope to transform SMMH into a year-round mission hospital serving the poor regardless of race or creed. This will take several years and an inflow of cash. Success will be measured by the care provided to those patients who presently go without because of their state of poverty. This meeting was followed up by a Tuesday evening meeting with the Bishop’s Hospital Council to the same end. We had a final meeting with the Bishop in Hyderabad before our return flight home and confirmed our long range goals. Bishop Devamani, we all thank you for your partnership in making SMMH into a viable mission hospital, and for your vision and optimism in this wonderful Christian project.

Dr. Latha spent most of the first week operating with Dirk, while Dr. Monali helped Joe and me. Latha is currently a fourth year surgical resident at the Medical College of New Jersey. During her residency she has participated in 3 or four thyroid operations. She added an additional 25 while in India. Monali is a fourth year Med student in India. She had just completed a 6 month surgical rotation at Brown University in Rhode Island. Both Latha and Monali were invaluable contributors to our effort and are sure to succeed in their chosen careers.

Cath, Susan, and David and Joe IV were instructed in sterile technique and were a great help in the OR assisting on cases as well as in their other endeavors. Susan also assisted George in the Screening Clinic which ran most of the time with an endless stream of patients awaiting evaluation of possible surgical problems.This effort kept the Surgical schedule full at all times, and accounted for the record number of cases done. It is estimated that we saw upwards of 900 patients in Screening Clinic during the 11 days of work.

David, a master carpenter and cabinet-maker took it upon himself, having been encouraged by George and Joe, to design and with the help of a local carpenter construct new storage facilities for a multitude of med-surg supplies and equipment in a clean, efficient and functional manner. The result is nothing short of remarkable.

David then inquired into the needs, costs, and methods of improving the woeful condition of many of the houses in the Leprosy Village. The team had visited the Leprosy Village on Sunday, our day-off, and were moved by the plight of these poor, rejected, and socially shunned people. Their houses were built in the 1980’s by Habitat for Humanity under the direction of Dr. David Rowe then president of Habitat For Humanity International and founder of FOCI and Brother Azariah, founder of CSU. Over time and because of the lack of repair resources many of the roofs have developed leaks, eroding the ceilings and exposing the rebar. Walls are covered with mold and smoke. The floors are collapsing due to undermining by “bandicoots”, an Indian rodent larger than a rat, which enter the houses through the floors and cause havoc.

David learned that the average cost to completely repair each needy house is $300.00. These repairs include fixing the roof, re-plastering the ceiling, killing the mold, whitewashing the interior, and removing the broken floor and pouring a new cement slab. The fund would also cover the cost of pumping all of the cess-pools that have begun to overflow causing unsanitary toilet facilities.

Since returning to the USA David has started raising contributions to pay to have the Lepers’ homes repaired. Anyone who would like to help David finance this most worthy project can send contributions to FOCI (go to Donate and be sure to designate for “Leprosy Village”). We have heard that he has solicited a healthy sum from his siblings, but if some is good, more is better, particularly for this way over-due project. Way to go David!! Hats off to you and your siblings, and to anyone else helping this cause.

All the Gyn consultations and surgery were done by our old friend, Dr. Sulochana Christopher who traveled from her University position in Chennai to help us. Both the cultural and ethical concerns associated with Gyn care in India are complex and Dr. Solochana is best sited to understand and deal with these issues. Dr. Sulochana’s two children, Annie and Ben were a great help to us as well, especially with translating and organizing the clinics. Annie is just finishing Dental School and Ben is applying to Medical School near Chennai.

John Mark and his devoted wife Vasantha were our wonderful hosts, as they are year after year, providing not only our horde lodging, but also our delicious and nutritious meals three times a day on our very irregular schedule. They are saddled with us and our problems while at the same time carrying out their duties running CSU, the Village Clinics and the School For Evangelism.

Dr. Hephzibah, the resident primary care doctor at SMMH was joined by Dr. Kennedy who came over from Dornakol to help out with the staggering extra load we heaped on them. They worked tirelessly seeing their regular patients, screening surgical candidates, translating for us, making rounds, writing orders, and scrubbing on cases when they had a free moment. They were a joy to work with, and an integral part of our team. Thank you doctors. You are great!

This year’s surgical camp was a big success. As seen on the list of procedures, we did a record 235 procedures on 231 patients, with several patients having more than one procedure at a time. One man had 7 lipomas removed at one sitting. Several patients had several procedures done under a single anesthesia, such as bilateral hernias and a hydrocelectomy under one spinal. We have to be very careful to maintain a wide margin of safety for our patients because our setting is circa 1947, the year the Brits gave the hospital to the Indians. Over the years, however we have been able to affect significant improvements in equipment and supplies due entirely to our generous donors.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to all the generous people and organizations who fund our efforts through the Free Surgical Camp, the Rural health Clinics and Specialty Clinics. There are several Family Foundations , Middlesex Hospital of Middletown Connecticut, National organizations such as Americares, Map International, Heart To Heart, Zimmer and Ethicon and scores of individuals who support us each year. Without you we could do nothing. We are confident that many will continue to help us as we work to transform Saint Mary`s Mission Hospital into a more modern facility dedicated to the care of the poorest of the poor.

We also wish to thank the American College Of Surgeons, “Operation Giving Back” which played an important role in helping us recruit several members of our team.

We are asked every year, “How can I contribute?” The answer is, send any Tax-deductible donation to our 501(c)3 organization FOCI (Friends Of Christ in India)

Donations can be designated for special projects such as Free Surgical Camp, Rural Health Clinics, Leprosy Village Repairs, Womens Health Clinic etc.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Respectfully submitted,
George Longstreth, MD and Joe Bardenheier III, MD