Report

Last year, I participated in medical service-related volunteer activities in Maharashtra, India, on the invitation of a professor who has been volunteering in the region for over 13 years. Our team had a hectic schedule during our stay in India, traveling 2 to 3 hours every day to treat up to 900 patients per day living in remote areas located around a 10-hour drive out from Mumbai. Most of the patients had never received medical treatment before and were suffering from various kinds of chronic disease and pantalgia, so it felt very rewarding to be able to help them. In India, due to the nature of the culture, women marry at a young age and work very hard. Most of the female patients I met there were poorly nourished and almost all of them had anemia, which had caused them severe pantalgia. In particular, they complained of severe back pain and knee joint pain, so I felt sad while treating them. Travelling many hours every day throughout the 5 days was really exhausting. However, the locals were in a desperate need for medical attention, waiting in line in front of our clinic even after we ran out of the medications we had prepared and I felt very bad sending them home without medicine. Although we had some difficulty securing drugs and devices needed for injection treatment, we were able to successfully complete our medical services thanks to the support of Wooridul Spine Hospital. If circumstances allow, I would like to participate in the volunteer work in the region every year.