Medical Camps in Gujerat, India

World Peace Flame Foundation

In 2010, 1289 people were examined and given free medicines, 176 cataract operations were done and 105 patients were given free dental treatment, thanks to our team in Gujerat and your donations.

Chantal Elson for example, collected money for 162 cataract operations by climbing to the top of 250 mountains in Scotland which is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times, a distance of 700 miles.

Look for Chantal’s Munro Challenge for the World Peace Flame’ on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEbRz7QIRGs ‘

The World Peace Flame has been providing free medical care to impoverished communities in Gujerat, India since 2005.

The first free medical clinic was held on 2 October 2005 in a local school. “We visited all the doctors beforehand to give them idea about village poverty and what they were going to face,” explained Thakor Patel, Director of the project. A total of 288 people benefited from free medical consultations and medicines that day.

Since that time, regular medical camps have been held. Doctors, dentists and nurses have given up their free time to support the clinic. One of our team in India explained, “I went to visit one doctor who will now come twice a month to see patients, if we provide transport. We are trying to get another doctor so that we can have one visit per week.”

Malnutrition is common in this area, so each villager who attends the medical camp is given a food parcel and nutritional supplements such as iron, vitamin C and multivitamins.

In 2010, 1289 people were examined and given free medicines, 176 cataract operations done and 105 patients were given free dental treatment.

Ravjibhai, a 65 year old local farmer, came to the clinic with breathing difficulties and suspected cataracts. He said that he had always had faith that God would help him to find treatment, ‘This medical camp is the answer to my prayer.’

Congenital defects, routinely corrected in the West, are common. 12 year old Vijay has had a cleft palate from birth and cannot speak properly. The World Peace Flame financed his orthodontic treatment and the operation to correct his hare-lip. Other children and old people are receiving free operations for eye defects, cataracts and orthopaedic treatment.

Shantiben doesn't know exactly how old she is. She lives alone in Moldhara village with no close family to take her to hospital for her cataracts and crippling osteoporosis. The World Peace Flame staff organised transport for her to visit the doctor and receive treatment.