BEN HORNER - an Oasis at Chinchpada Hospital
As Dr Singh and I approached the corridor that served as the A & E admissions area some 30 people quietened and stepped aside to let us through before hustling in behind us.
Lying on the bed was a girl of 18. She was in a deep coma, her heart was racing at 160 bpm and her breathing was fast and shallow.
The woman holding her hand told us told us that she had been bitten by a cobra whilst working in the fields three hours previously. She lived less than two kilometres from the hospital but her co-workers, who now hemmed us in, had taken her to a local witchdoctor first and only brought her to the hospital where she had slipped into a coma.
Whilst the woman was talking the girl stopped breathing and we had to intubate her. An intravenous fluid line was put up and anti-venom and atropine administered. The area around the bite was incised to reduce the pressure from the swelling. Four hours later the girl was sitting up and talking and asking whether she could go home yet.
This was the most dramatic success story I saw in my time at Chinchpada hospital. I also saw people die who might have lived if they had been give access to the facilities we take for granted in Britain.
However the story demonstrates one of the key things that I learnt during my stay: a lot can be done with very limited facilities.
The hospital
Chinchpada Christian Hospital is a busy 78 bed mission hospital nestled in the tribal belt of North Maharashtra which is in the west of India. Patients come from up to 80 kms away. There are 50 staff, three of whom are doctors. It is built within the grounds of a church -with which it has close links. There is also a Christian school built within the grounds which was started five years ago and now has about 120 pupils.
The Mission Work
One of the key things I wanted to discover when I applied to spend my attachment in India with Emmanuel Hospital Association was how a mission hospital can have an effective approach to evangelism whilst at the same time being sensitive to the beliefs and the culture of the people. This was especially important when there was not an alternative place to go, as is often the case. This issue had confronted me several times in the past through experience of other mission hospitals and when listening to medical missionaries speaking in Britain. I could not have been much better placed to witness the challenge of walking this tightrope.
These are troubled times for Christians in the tribal belts of India. Dr Staines and his children were murdered in January in Orissa in the east, and there were burning of churches and persecution of many Christians in Gujarat in the west. In Chinchpada there has been a propaganda campaign in the local newspaper against the school. The church had a police guard in response to threats to burn it down from the local Hindu fundamentalist group.
I was able to see how the hospital staff tried to communicate with the patients in a way that was sensitive to their backgrounds. Towards the end of my stay I saw a clear confirmation that most of the community did not feel that the hospital was being too heavy handed. Following the fundamentalist threats there was such a backlash against them in the local community that the threat was withdrawn.
So how did the staff at the hospital manage to evangelise and still give respect to the patients' backgrounds? One of the things that struck me was the spiritual dimension that underlay everything that went on in the hospital. This was demonstrated in tangible ways such as the communal worship every morning before work and the prayers said before each operation. In a more subtle ways: EHA's mission statement 'Transformation through fellowship', articulates the key element in the hospital's approach. People need not only to hear about Jesus but also to see and experience the power of God's love in action through relationships. I heard one of the newer members of staff describe Chinchpada as an oasis - by this he meant there was a definite sense of God's love in the place. In my short stay I was able to catch a glimpse of the truth of that statement. Of course things were not perfect; there was still friction at times between people; but underlying everything was a sense of community amongst the staff and also a clear demonstration of love in their work.
I left Chinchpada hospital with some regret. In my short stay I had come to feel at home there. I had learnt many new things both medical and spiritual. The two main challenges with which I came away are:
mission hospitals do not have a monopoly on evangelism - we all have a responsibility to work out how to actively incorporate outreach sensitively into our work. the spiritual and material needs at Chinchpada and a lot of places like it are great and we all have a responsibility to work out what our role should be in meeting those needs.
Isabelia Carrington - Hang on to your lifeline at Duncan Hospital
The Duncan Hospital is run by the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) in the remote NE Indian town of Raxaul, on the Nepalese border. It serves over 11 million people. Christianity comprises less than 0.2% of the population of the state of Bihar and I found it very dry both spiritually and environmentally.
Most staff are Indian with a few ex-pats and elective students. The patients come from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds but are aware that it is a Christian hospital. I lived in a compound comprising hospital, school, church, hostel and residential area for the hospital staff. It felt both safe and claustrophobic at the same time!
Even having visited India once previously nothing quite prepared me for the smell, dirt, intense heat and dust!
After having been delayed in Delhi through being sold an onward flight that did not exist, I arrived at Duncan 4.5 days after leaving UK. A sense of humour was needed at all times to prevent extreme frustration through endless delays and changes of plan. With hindsight each trial was for a reason and God showed me that His ways and thoughts are far higher than mine (Isaiah 55).
I was ill for a week and as I was moaning on my bed, wondering what earthly use I could be to God, He told me my purpose was to pray for the people here and that it really didn't matter whether I was in bed or in the hospital. As the temperature and humidity soared, suddenly my cool room with a fan seemed rather appealing. God said that some people may never meet another Christian and be prayed for. I believe that in His mercy He will multiply my measly prayers to compensate and make them powerful and effective'. (James 5:16) I often found it hard to pray and to feel God but I knew He was there with me constantly.
As I left UK the Lord told me to literally hang on to Psalm 91 throughout my trip and it proved to be my lifeline at times. On arrival I was told that it was the snake season and I woke up every morning expecting to see a cobra staring at me through my mosquito net. Psalm 91:13 seemed particularly pertinent then!!
The hospital has a Paediatric ward which is where my interest lies, although after the age of 3, children go to the adult wards. Facilities are basic but everyone learns to improvise. On a day-to-day basis I was allowed to plan my own time and I spent much of it in the midwifery department where I witnessed some horrendous deliveries with no painkillers! Of course many healthy babies were born too.
Nursing is dramatically different from the UK. Each patient pays for a bed and a 'sarti' or relative would do all the caring, from feeding to washing etc. Nurses give out medication and appear to be more task orientated. Psychological care did not take a high priority.
At the start of each day a short church service was held for the hospital staff. Prior to each ward round there would be another mini service for the patients. Staff would sing, pray and someone gave a short evangelistic talk. People seemed open and interested. I found this extremely encouraging and feel we can learn a lot back in the UK from this approach. I sensed a real boldness and desire to share the gospel from the Indian staff.
Two or three dedicated surgeons perform countless operations and pray before each one. Even they were surprised when certain people survived as it was often against all the odds. One surgeon said she could perform up to 40 cataract operations in a day during the busy season. Her devotion to God was amazing.
At the end of my trip I managed to spend a few days up in Nepal though local elections and a lot of violence nearly prevented me. I managed to catch an overnight bus and arrived in Pokhara in the pouring rain. The next day was boiling hot with blue sky and a fantastic view of the snow-capped Himalayas.
I am immensely grateful to God for the opportunity to witness how rather a large percentage of His people exist. He showed me the desperate need for people to experience His love (John 10:10).
As Dr Singh and I approached the corridor that served as the A & E admissions area some 30 people quietened and stepped aside to let us through before hustling in behind us.
Lying on the bed was a girl of 18. She was in a deep coma, her heart was racing at 160 bpm and her breathing was fast and shallow.
The woman holding her hand told us told us that she had been bitten by a cobra whilst working in the fields three hours previously. She lived less than two kilometres from the hospital but her co-workers, who now hemmed us in, had taken her to a local witchdoctor first and only brought her to the hospital where she had slipped into a coma.
Whilst the woman was talking the girl stopped breathing and we had to intubate her. An intravenous fluid line was put up and anti-venom and atropine administered. The area around the bite was incised to reduce the pressure from the swelling. Four hours later the girl was sitting up and talking and asking whether she could go home yet.
This was the most dramatic success story I saw in my time at Chinchpada hospital. I also saw people die who might have lived if they had been give access to the facilities we take for granted in Britain.
However the story demonstrates one of the key things that I learnt during my stay: a lot can be done with very limited facilities.
The hospital
Chinchpada Christian Hospital is a busy 78 bed mission hospital nestled in the tribal belt of North Maharashtra which is in the west of India. Patients come from up to 80 kms away. There are 50 staff, three of whom are doctors. It is built within the grounds of a church -with which it has close links. There is also a Christian school built within the grounds which was started five years ago and now has about 120 pupils.
The Mission Work
One of the key things I wanted to discover when I applied to spend my attachment in India with Emmanuel Hospital Association was how a mission hospital can have an effective approach to evangelism whilst at the same time being sensitive to the beliefs and the culture of the people. This was especially important when there was not an alternative place to go, as is often the case. This issue had confronted me several times in the past through experience of other mission hospitals and when listening to medical missionaries speaking in Britain. I could not have been much better placed to witness the challenge of walking this tightrope.
These are troubled times for Christians in the tribal belts of India. Dr Staines and his children were murdered in January in Orissa in the east, and there were burning of churches and persecution of many Christians in Gujarat in the west. In Chinchpada there has been a propaganda campaign in the local newspaper against the school. The church had a police guard in response to threats to burn it down from the local Hindu fundamentalist group.
I was able to see how the hospital staff tried to communicate with the patients in a way that was sensitive to their backgrounds. Towards the end of my stay I saw a clear confirmation that most of the community did not feel that the hospital was being too heavy handed. Following the fundamentalist threats there was such a backlash against them in the local community that the threat was withdrawn.
So how did the staff at the hospital manage to evangelise and still give respect to the patients' backgrounds? One of the things that struck me was the spiritual dimension that underlay everything that went on in the hospital. This was demonstrated in tangible ways such as the communal worship every morning before work and the prayers said before each operation. In a more subtle ways: EHA's mission statement 'Transformation through fellowship', articulates the key element in the hospital's approach. People need not only to hear about Jesus but also to see and experience the power of God's love in action through relationships. I heard one of the newer members of staff describe Chinchpada as an oasis - by this he meant there was a definite sense of God's love in the place. In my short stay I was able to catch a glimpse of the truth of that statement. Of course things were not perfect; there was still friction at times between people; but underlying everything was a sense of community amongst the staff and also a clear demonstration of love in their work.
I left Chinchpada hospital with some regret. In my short stay I had come to feel at home there. I had learnt many new things both medical and spiritual. The two main challenges with which I came away are:
mission hospitals do not have a monopoly on evangelism - we all have a responsibility to work out how to actively incorporate outreach sensitively into our work. the spiritual and material needs at Chinchpada and a lot of places like it are great and we all have a responsibility to work out what our role should be in meeting those needs.
Isabelia Carrington - Hang on to your lifeline at Duncan Hospital
The Duncan Hospital is run by the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) in the remote NE Indian town of Raxaul, on the Nepalese border. It serves over 11 million people. Christianity comprises less than 0.2% of the population of the state of Bihar and I found it very dry both spiritually and environmentally.
Most staff are Indian with a few ex-pats and elective students. The patients come from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds but are aware that it is a Christian hospital. I lived in a compound comprising hospital, school, church, hostel and residential area for the hospital staff. It felt both safe and claustrophobic at the same time!
Even having visited India once previously nothing quite prepared me for the smell, dirt, intense heat and dust!
After having been delayed in Delhi through being sold an onward flight that did not exist, I arrived at Duncan 4.5 days after leaving UK. A sense of humour was needed at all times to prevent extreme frustration through endless delays and changes of plan. With hindsight each trial was for a reason and God showed me that His ways and thoughts are far higher than mine (Isaiah 55).
I was ill for a week and as I was moaning on my bed, wondering what earthly use I could be to God, He told me my purpose was to pray for the people here and that it really didn't matter whether I was in bed or in the hospital. As the temperature and humidity soared, suddenly my cool room with a fan seemed rather appealing. God said that some people may never meet another Christian and be prayed for. I believe that in His mercy He will multiply my measly prayers to compensate and make them powerful and effective'. (James 5:16) I often found it hard to pray and to feel God but I knew He was there with me constantly.
As I left UK the Lord told me to literally hang on to Psalm 91 throughout my trip and it proved to be my lifeline at times. On arrival I was told that it was the snake season and I woke up every morning expecting to see a cobra staring at me through my mosquito net. Psalm 91:13 seemed particularly pertinent then!!
The hospital has a Paediatric ward which is where my interest lies, although after the age of 3, children go to the adult wards. Facilities are basic but everyone learns to improvise. On a day-to-day basis I was allowed to plan my own time and I spent much of it in the midwifery department where I witnessed some horrendous deliveries with no painkillers! Of course many healthy babies were born too.
Nursing is dramatically different from the UK. Each patient pays for a bed and a 'sarti' or relative would do all the caring, from feeding to washing etc. Nurses give out medication and appear to be more task orientated. Psychological care did not take a high priority.
At the start of each day a short church service was held for the hospital staff. Prior to each ward round there would be another mini service for the patients. Staff would sing, pray and someone gave a short evangelistic talk. People seemed open and interested. I found this extremely encouraging and feel we can learn a lot back in the UK from this approach. I sensed a real boldness and desire to share the gospel from the Indian staff.
Two or three dedicated surgeons perform countless operations and pray before each one. Even they were surprised when certain people survived as it was often against all the odds. One surgeon said she could perform up to 40 cataract operations in a day during the busy season. Her devotion to God was amazing.
At the end of my trip I managed to spend a few days up in Nepal though local elections and a lot of violence nearly prevented me. I managed to catch an overnight bus and arrived in Pokhara in the pouring rain. The next day was boiling hot with blue sky and a fantastic view of the snow-capped Himalayas.
I am immensely grateful to God for the opportunity to witness how rather a large percentage of His people exist. He showed me the desperate need for people to experience His love (John 10:10).
