Herbertpur Christian Hospital is a 100-bedded hospital situated in Doon Valley at the foothills of Himalayas. It was founded in 1936 by Dr. Geoffrey Lehman and his wife Monica to serve the hill-tribe people. It is now run by Emmanuel Hospitals Association, an Indian Christian charity. It has a medical ward, a surgical ward, paediatrics, a (basic) ITU, operating theatres and an ED, as well as a large outpatient department.

I spent three weeks at HCH, with the medical, surgical and paediatric teams. We spent time on ward rounds, in outpatient clinics, theatres, and outreach clinics in the community. There was a lot of interesting pathology to see, including cystericosis causing seizures and neurotoxic snake bite causing complete paralysis, and the experience was a real eye-opener to many of the problems hospitals in developing countries face.

Unfortunately, our understanding of Hindi was very limited, and whilst we were able to examine patients, we had difficulty taking histories. Most of the staff spoke English, but we were entirely dependent on their explanations and sometimes they were too busy to stop and explain things to us. Nevertheless, it was a good opportunity to see interesting pathologies and gain valuable insights into healthcare practices in the developing world. The hospital had a clear Christian ethos, every morning was a worship session and sermon, followed by a prayer meeting which focused our hearts on God.

Contact - Sunita Malakar, sunita@eha-health.org