Day 2: Chikodhra

I did not know how and what to feel as I was on my way to meet the “father of eye camps”. I stand outside the hospital and wonder ... if the world saw these conditions, we would not be plagued with a healthcare problem. The ambulance was a late model Volkswagen, and the walls of the hospital were being held up by the will to serve their people. As I sit next to Dr. Choshi, the “father of eye camps,” nerve pulses fly throughout my body as I feel completely empowered. At 94 (one could not tell by his poise) he bestows his wisdom and passion as an ophthalmologist.

I take a tour, snapping photo after photo. I am amazed by the scarcity of resources, as the operating room looks like an examination room, and the sterilization room looks like a kitchen with a sink. My heart falls to the ground thinking that these patients might be better off if they did not receive these free services. I was dumbfounded to learn that the post-operation infection rate is around 0.01%, literally 0.000001%. UNBELIEAVABLE!