The fruit and veg. is superb here, and so cheap! The tomatoes are soooo tasty 
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Meeting Gran & Pop
This is a photo that Jo's mum and dad took when they arrived at the airport, of us greeting them!
Alistair is holding a sign which says "welcome gran and pop to India" 
Alistair is holding a sign which says "welcome gran and pop to India"
Big School-boy!
Alistair is going to 'Toddlers Academy' 3 times a week, and wears this uniform, which is sooooo cute! He loves it. He gets picked up in a small minibus. They call this "going to school" here, and even from 1 1/2 years old some places can be very strict and start teaching a curriculum!! Thankfully Toddlers academy is run by a lovely Christian lady, who is quite laid back, and actually quite positive about allowing small children to have fun! (which is quite a liberal view here)
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
TB,VCTC,Inpatient expansion
Here is a wee work update, as promised. There is a lot going on! Our patients often have TB, and at present they are referred to the government system for free treatment, which is great that there is that service, but means their care becomes more fragmented and complicated. Because of this Andi (who runs JSK) is keen to put a proposal forward for us to become a government funded centre for TB. This is still in embryonic stages, with not much on paper, but your prayers would be appreciated as to whether this is God's will. It would mean a rapid expansion, and sideways shift somewhat, as it would open our doors beyond HIV to the general public more.
Secondly, and related to the above, is the idea to also become a government recognised testing centre for HIV. We have positive feedback from one funding agency to help this move forward. If the first plan succeeds, and we stard treating for TB, then many of those people will need HIV testing, and it is a long way for people to go at present for testing. (It can be done locally, but is very expensive, so it is better resource management for people to go to the government centres).
The third thing we really need is more space, as already we have had to add another in-patient bed in our centre, which means I have lost my desk!!! I have drawn up plans for a first floor extension to the current premesis, and now we need planning permission. Please pray for this to go ahead quickly. We will get some of the current Lok Hospital premesis when we build the new Hospital, but our need is more urgent than that!
Secondly, and related to the above, is the idea to also become a government recognised testing centre for HIV. We have positive feedback from one funding agency to help this move forward. If the first plan succeeds, and we stard treating for TB, then many of those people will need HIV testing, and it is a long way for people to go at present for testing. (It can be done locally, but is very expensive, so it is better resource management for people to go to the government centres).
The third thing we really need is more space, as already we have had to add another in-patient bed in our centre, which means I have lost my desk!!! I have drawn up plans for a first floor extension to the current premesis, and now we need planning permission. Please pray for this to go ahead quickly. We will get some of the current Lok Hospital premesis when we build the new Hospital, but our need is more urgent than that!
Jo speaking!
I really miss my work (never thought I'd say that!). It's quite a shift for me to not have a role as such and not to be using my skills at all. Hopefully once the kids are a bit older I will be able to do a bit at the hospital.
We're doing ok here. It's hotting up now (not that it ever felt cool) which I find particularly difficult. It makes everything more tiring and it is harder to entertain Alistair in the heat. If you need a specific prayer point for me it would be this - that I would have the strength to cope with the heat on a daily basis and be able to find ways to entertain Alistair depsite it - he is so energetic! He is so lovely just now. Such a wee character - quite a comedian. He adores Freya which is such a blessing. Freya is doing really well. She is sleeping on my lap as I write this. We are so chuffed with her. Especially as we were convinced we were having a boy!
Our flat faces due South, and we have a powercut between 3-6pm, so we have no fans to keep us cool. Also we live 6 floors up, and the flat we are in doesn't have a generator for the lift, so it is very difficult to get out of the flat in the afternoons, so I feel a bit like a prisoner in an oven!Because of this we prayed 2 weeks ago about whether we should move, and the very next day were offered (out of the blue) a very large flat on the 11th floor. It is close to here and faces West with views over the hills. It's nice and cool and has a generator for the lift. It will cost a bit more than our current place, but has a communal swimming pool and a play park, which is ideal. It will also be better for visitors.
Our church in Glasgow is having a "global focus" weekend on Sunday and we are going to do a live video-link call over the internet to the whole church! We're really looking forward to it. We miss our church back home. The church we are going to here is very different from what we are used to, a brethren style church.
We are planning a visit back to the UK in June (10th - 3rd July approx). Would be great to be able to meet up with you all then. God bless. x
We're doing ok here. It's hotting up now (not that it ever felt cool) which I find particularly difficult. It makes everything more tiring and it is harder to entertain Alistair in the heat. If you need a specific prayer point for me it would be this - that I would have the strength to cope with the heat on a daily basis and be able to find ways to entertain Alistair depsite it - he is so energetic! He is so lovely just now. Such a wee character - quite a comedian. He adores Freya which is such a blessing. Freya is doing really well. She is sleeping on my lap as I write this. We are so chuffed with her. Especially as we were convinced we were having a boy!
Our flat faces due South, and we have a powercut between 3-6pm, so we have no fans to keep us cool. Also we live 6 floors up, and the flat we are in doesn't have a generator for the lift, so it is very difficult to get out of the flat in the afternoons, so I feel a bit like a prisoner in an oven!Because of this we prayed 2 weeks ago about whether we should move, and the very next day were offered (out of the blue) a very large flat on the 11th floor. It is close to here and faces West with views over the hills. It's nice and cool and has a generator for the lift. It will cost a bit more than our current place, but has a communal swimming pool and a play park, which is ideal. It will also be better for visitors.
Our church in Glasgow is having a "global focus" weekend on Sunday and we are going to do a live video-link call over the internet to the whole church! We're really looking forward to it. We miss our church back home. The church we are going to here is very different from what we are used to, a brethren style church.
We are planning a visit back to the UK in June (10th - 3rd July approx). Would be great to be able to meet up with you all then. God bless. x
Partnership
Last week Andi and I attended a meeting with some other Christian organisations to discuss the possibility of all starting to work in greater unity to combat the threat of HIV/AIDS. The prospect of us all becoming one large conglomerate with common strategies and protocols was discussed, which would give us more unity and cohesion. It would also make it possible to apply for larger sponshorship deals, from larger international organisations. We are still quite a way off that kind of thing, but have agreed to pray about it, and to seek greater unity, and see how God leads us. Please pray.
REAL NEED
One of the problems with working with those with AIDS is that their lifespan is limited. Tied to this, only 20% of Children contract the disease from positive mothers. This means that there are inevitably a lot of children left parentless.
In India there's not really a provision for these children, and so at JSK we try to help them. Our policy is to try to place children with their extended families where possible, as family is so important. Other than this JSK has historically referred Children to established Orphanages, run by the Catholic Church in the main. However these can also be quite large and impersonal.
Andi, who I work with, has been thinking that there is a need for us to start some work among orphans for some time, however I was not aware of this. Independantly I heard of someone who was wanting to start an orphanage in the North of India for children from HIV infected families. When I heard this I felt that it was such a great idea, and really felt enthused to do something similar. When I next spoke to Andi, (when we returned from Mussoorie), he told me that he was planning to have a meeting to discuss provision for orphans. That meeting was in November.
Shortly after that, there were 2 orphans who were placed with family, but there were already grandparents, parents, and children living in one room, and family said they just couldn't cope with 2 more children. We therefore arranged for the children to go to an orphanage, but they ran away twice. 2 weeks ago they moved into a room with a guardian who is another one of our patients, and it is going really well.
The latest is that 500 pounds was recently put into my bank account by someone in the UK, who my sister had spoken to, and who was keen for the money to be used in work with orphans!
This is just the start. We have 15 other Children who will be in a similar situation soon. It has been amazing what God has done so far in this area, and I look forward to the future with confidence. It is just great to see God working so much in all things. I've never experienced anything like it before in my life. I think I was probably just too self-reliant and comfortable in the UK. There isn't any REAL NEED in the same way in the UK(although I know there is need), and so you don't rely on God the same there (or maybe that was just me!!).
Anyway, I'm not saying all this to illustrate how wonderful I am. I'm not. (honestly). I have many faults. I really just want to communicate how great GOD is.
Thankyou for all your support. Lots of love, Adam
In India there's not really a provision for these children, and so at JSK we try to help them. Our policy is to try to place children with their extended families where possible, as family is so important. Other than this JSK has historically referred Children to established Orphanages, run by the Catholic Church in the main. However these can also be quite large and impersonal.
Andi, who I work with, has been thinking that there is a need for us to start some work among orphans for some time, however I was not aware of this. Independantly I heard of someone who was wanting to start an orphanage in the North of India for children from HIV infected families. When I heard this I felt that it was such a great idea, and really felt enthused to do something similar. When I next spoke to Andi, (when we returned from Mussoorie), he told me that he was planning to have a meeting to discuss provision for orphans. That meeting was in November.
Shortly after that, there were 2 orphans who were placed with family, but there were already grandparents, parents, and children living in one room, and family said they just couldn't cope with 2 more children. We therefore arranged for the children to go to an orphanage, but they ran away twice. 2 weeks ago they moved into a room with a guardian who is another one of our patients, and it is going really well.
The latest is that 500 pounds was recently put into my bank account by someone in the UK, who my sister had spoken to, and who was keen for the money to be used in work with orphans!
This is just the start. We have 15 other Children who will be in a similar situation soon. It has been amazing what God has done so far in this area, and I look forward to the future with confidence. It is just great to see God working so much in all things. I've never experienced anything like it before in my life. I think I was probably just too self-reliant and comfortable in the UK. There isn't any REAL NEED in the same way in the UK(although I know there is need), and so you don't rely on God the same there (or maybe that was just me!!).
Anyway, I'm not saying all this to illustrate how wonderful I am. I'm not. (honestly). I have many faults. I really just want to communicate how great GOD is.
Thankyou for all your support. Lots of love, Adam
Sunday, February 05, 2006
God's pulling the strings!
I have been back at work for a week, and have lots to say about that. there is enough really exciting stuff to talk about to fill several postings! So I think I will just write several postings on different topics over the next few weeks!
However, this is just a short note to tell you of an amazing co-incidence, or as I like to call it a 'God-incidence'.
Jo's parents arrived here on Saturday, and we all went to the airport to meet them. As we waited outside the airport I looked to the right, and was absentmindedly scanning the many A4 signs saying such things as "ACME TOURS WELCOMES MR. & MRS. N.E.BODY". Suddenly I did a double take, as I saw a sign saying simply "PAUL AND JEAN DOBBING". For those of you who Don't know, Paul and Jean are a couple from our home Church in Glasgow. Jean has lived in Nepal before, and had connections with a school there that Jo volunteered in for 6 months in 1997. Jo was actually in a prayer support group for Jean in Glasgow!
Anyway, Both Jo and I only knew Jean as "Jean Weir" which was her maiden name, but last week a friend from our Church sent me an Email saying that they had a service to say goodbye to Paul and Jean Dobbing who were going to Nepal! I emailed back saying that I wasn't sure that I knew who they were unless that was Jean Weir as was, and got a prompt reply saying this was the case.
Then amazingly it turns out that they arrived at Mumbai International airport 5 minutes after Jo's parents, and I happened to see the message for them being held up, and I only heard their new names a few days before, otherwise the sign would have meant nothing to me!!
It was sooo nice to wait and meet them. They are doing 2 months training in a Place called Pune which is only 3 hours from us by train. We're thinking of visiting them for a weekend, and they're planning to visit us for a few days at the end of March.
Here are some words from the start of an email that I recieved from them today:
" Hi Adam and Jo, it was really great to meet you at the airport on Saturday. We thought that was amazing and that it was such an encouragement to us. Thank you for waiting in the heat and sorry you had to wait a while. It really helped us though to come off the plane and see you all there. I thought God did that - it is a kind of assurance that He is going ahead of us - that is what we feel. "
That's also what Jo and I feel, as God is repeatedly sooo faithful to us here.
I'll be back in touch again soon, with more news about some interesting developments at work.
Lots of love, Adam
However, this is just a short note to tell you of an amazing co-incidence, or as I like to call it a 'God-incidence'.
Jo's parents arrived here on Saturday, and we all went to the airport to meet them. As we waited outside the airport I looked to the right, and was absentmindedly scanning the many A4 signs saying such things as "ACME TOURS WELCOMES MR. & MRS. N.E.BODY". Suddenly I did a double take, as I saw a sign saying simply "PAUL AND JEAN DOBBING". For those of you who Don't know, Paul and Jean are a couple from our home Church in Glasgow. Jean has lived in Nepal before, and had connections with a school there that Jo volunteered in for 6 months in 1997. Jo was actually in a prayer support group for Jean in Glasgow!
Anyway, Both Jo and I only knew Jean as "Jean Weir" which was her maiden name, but last week a friend from our Church sent me an Email saying that they had a service to say goodbye to Paul and Jean Dobbing who were going to Nepal! I emailed back saying that I wasn't sure that I knew who they were unless that was Jean Weir as was, and got a prompt reply saying this was the case.
Then amazingly it turns out that they arrived at Mumbai International airport 5 minutes after Jo's parents, and I happened to see the message for them being held up, and I only heard their new names a few days before, otherwise the sign would have meant nothing to me!!
It was sooo nice to wait and meet them. They are doing 2 months training in a Place called Pune which is only 3 hours from us by train. We're thinking of visiting them for a weekend, and they're planning to visit us for a few days at the end of March.
Here are some words from the start of an email that I recieved from them today:
" Hi Adam and Jo, it was really great to meet you at the airport on Saturday. We thought that was amazing and that it was such an encouragement to us. Thank you for waiting in the heat and sorry you had to wait a while. It really helped us though to come off the plane and see you all there. I thought God did that - it is a kind of assurance that He is going ahead of us - that is what we feel. "
That's also what Jo and I feel, as God is repeatedly sooo faithful to us here.
I'll be back in touch again soon, with more news about some interesting developments at work.
Lots of love, Adam
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Especially for Penni
I guess this photo has to be especially for Adam's big sister Penni. She was great, and sent the carseat, bouncy chair, and the wooden toy on top of the television!! Thanks Penni!It's actually fairly typical for Alistair to be hovering around Freya. He likes to lie with his head resting on the bouncy chair at Freya's feet, stroking her tummy, and kissing her feet!
A little word in your ear!
Freya is actually hungry in this photo, and trying to eat Alistair's ear. I'm not sure he knows quite what to make of it!!
Besotted
Hello again, thanks for reading our blog!
We've had a good week and feel like we are starting to settle into a bit of a routine now. Freya is feeding really well and sleeps for long spells between feeds which is good. Last night Jo fed her at 11.30 and then she only woke up for one more feed at 4 which was fantastic. She doesn't seem to be as sicky as Alistair was at this stage. She is just adorable - we love her to bits and still can't believe we have a daughter!! Alistair continues to be really besotted with her and loves to kiss and cuddle her. Went out for our first shopping trip with her yesterday which all the Indians thought was horrfying! Traditionally new mums here lie in bed for a month and have everything done for them! They seem to treat childbirth as an illness. They also have lots of definite ideas about how to dress (warmly), hold, feed the baby etc. I just smile and inwardly disagree!
People here have been so kind to us this week. God has blessed us with a meal every day! Folk from church and neighbours have popped in with stuff and been really sweet. It's amazing, being so far from friends and family and yet having folk who hardly know us looking out for us. God is good.
Adam has taken 2 weeks paternity leave from work, which will work OK, as Dr. Sheba is there in the mornings, and there are no in-patients again this week. It has been amazing how God has provided busy spells when the team is at full strength, and quiet spells when we are depleted!
We've had a good week and feel like we are starting to settle into a bit of a routine now. Freya is feeding really well and sleeps for long spells between feeds which is good. Last night Jo fed her at 11.30 and then she only woke up for one more feed at 4 which was fantastic. She doesn't seem to be as sicky as Alistair was at this stage. She is just adorable - we love her to bits and still can't believe we have a daughter!! Alistair continues to be really besotted with her and loves to kiss and cuddle her. Went out for our first shopping trip with her yesterday which all the Indians thought was horrfying! Traditionally new mums here lie in bed for a month and have everything done for them! They seem to treat childbirth as an illness. They also have lots of definite ideas about how to dress (warmly), hold, feed the baby etc. I just smile and inwardly disagree!
People here have been so kind to us this week. God has blessed us with a meal every day! Folk from church and neighbours have popped in with stuff and been really sweet. It's amazing, being so far from friends and family and yet having folk who hardly know us looking out for us. God is good.
Adam has taken 2 weeks paternity leave from work, which will work OK, as Dr. Sheba is there in the mornings, and there are no in-patients again this week. It has been amazing how God has provided busy spells when the team is at full strength, and quiet spells when we are depleted!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Close-up and personal
Here's a close up of Freya Ann Black. All in family are well. Mum and Dad are a bit tired, but the 2 kids are sleeping 'like babies' as I type. If you wish, it is possible to save these pictures to your computers, and even print them to show them to your friends!! (maybe that's just something an overenthusiastic father would do?!)
Big brother is watching you!
Hello all. Good news at last, for all you poor 
people who have been desperately waiting for
news!
Jo gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl at 12.40 indian time. Her name is Freya Anne Black.
She was 2.83kg which we think is about 6lb 3oz. Small and perfectly formed.
Alistair was a total star (as always). He was very excited, but very gentle. He kept saying "baby, mummy, baby, mummy".
I'm looking forward to getting mum and baby home later.
people who have been desperately waiting for
news!
Jo gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl at 12.40 indian time. Her name is Freya Anne Black.
She was 2.83kg which we think is about 6lb 3oz. Small and perfectly formed.
Alistair was a total star (as always). He was very excited, but very gentle. He kept saying "baby, mummy, baby, mummy".
I'm looking forward to getting mum and baby home later.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Pally Festive Posting
Happy new year when it comes. This is a fairly pally post for the festive season, so it doesn't contain much news about work!
We had a lovely Christmas with my (Adam's) family, who are with us until the 5th January. Jo and mum did an amazing job of dinner, with 2 roast chickens cooked in a combination microwave oven! This was accompanied by perfect roast potatoes, greens, carrots, and gravy!! This was followed by apple crumble, which was delicious. NO COMPROMISE! It was extremely nice to have family with us, and there is already the prospect of some of Jo's family coming out next year!! The day was also spent with a medical student from London, who really fitted in well. He was extremely generous, and bought me a webcam as a present!! Unfortunately he subtley tried to find out if I already had a webcam first, and I thought "that's a greeeaaat idea", and promptly went out and bought myself one on Christmas-Eve!!! OOPS
The webcam means that we can now show people live footage via SKYPE, which is a web based telephone/videolink service, which is free to download, and costs the price of your internet service provider's calls to use. This means that it is effectively FREE if you have broadband. Visit http://www.skype.com by clicking on this link to download the software (make sure you download the latest version (2.0) which supports webcams). It is very user friendly, so don't be scared! and takes only a few minutes to set-up. In order to find us on SKYPE, our username is 'adamclanblack', and our region is 'India'. Once you have sent us an invite to skype you, we will each be able to see when the other person is on-line, and we can call with the click of a button! Alternatively you can call our landline to ask us to go online (0091 22 25399949) It is such a great tool for those abroad!
Andi and Sheba Eicher have gone to Mussoorie for a week to visit his parents, and attend a wedding. This means that I am holding the fort at JSK until the 4th of Jan., and my family leave on the 5th. God has been very gracious by providing a particularly quiet spell at work. We have no in patients at the moment, which means that I have the possibility of a lot more free time. Please pray that this will continue, so that I can spend as much time with my family as possible.
Amazingly Jo and I have not actually been to visit Mumbai proper since we arrived 3 months ago! this means that we are planning to enjoy exploring the Bazaars with my family. They left today to stay In Mumbai for 2 nights, and we plan to join them tomorrow for new year's eve in a hotel.
Cameron has also offered to babysit for Jo and I one night, so it will mean that we will be able to go on a date, which will be the first since arriving here (and probably the last for a while, given that the new baby will be arriving very soon!). We have been fairly careful to protect as much 'family time' as possible here, but it will be nice to have some 'A&J time' as well.
Please pray for us to make the right choice as to where we choose to settle for 'Church'. (I put this in inverted commas because we are all 'Church' all the time, aren't we! What I mean is that we could settle in the right body of believers on a Sunday, in order to share fellowship, worship, serve, grow, and be held accountable!!). At present we are really torn between a Baptist Church which is a Rickshaw drive away, but is more what we're used to, or the Brethren Church which meets in the Hospital. This is a great group of people who we love and respect, but the brethren ethos is a little different to what we are used to. I think that we could maybe be used more at the brethren Church, and it would be great to go to somewhere local.
On the baby front, Jo now only has 24 days to go before her due date! Added to this is the fact that Alistair came 8 days early, so it is fairly likely that we will have another addition to the family in only a couple of weeks!! Are we prepared? Probably as well as we can be, but your prayers would also be appreciated on that front as well. Pray especially for a quick, pain-free delivery, as they do not offer any pain-relief in labour here!!
Anyway, I generally try to keep these letters brief, so that people don't tire of reading them, so I think I'd better sign off now!
God bless, Love Adam, Jo, Alistair and Bump
We had a lovely Christmas with my (Adam's) family, who are with us until the 5th January. Jo and mum did an amazing job of dinner, with 2 roast chickens cooked in a combination microwave oven! This was accompanied by perfect roast potatoes, greens, carrots, and gravy!! This was followed by apple crumble, which was delicious. NO COMPROMISE! It was extremely nice to have family with us, and there is already the prospect of some of Jo's family coming out next year!! The day was also spent with a medical student from London, who really fitted in well. He was extremely generous, and bought me a webcam as a present!! Unfortunately he subtley tried to find out if I already had a webcam first, and I thought "that's a greeeaaat idea", and promptly went out and bought myself one on Christmas-Eve!!! OOPS
The webcam means that we can now show people live footage via SKYPE, which is a web based telephone/videolink service, which is free to download, and costs the price of your internet service provider's calls to use. This means that it is effectively FREE if you have broadband. Visit http://www.skype.com by clicking on this link to download the software (make sure you download the latest version (2.0) which supports webcams). It is very user friendly, so don't be scared! and takes only a few minutes to set-up. In order to find us on SKYPE, our username is 'adamclanblack', and our region is 'India'. Once you have sent us an invite to skype you, we will each be able to see when the other person is on-line, and we can call with the click of a button! Alternatively you can call our landline to ask us to go online (0091 22 25399949) It is such a great tool for those abroad!
Andi and Sheba Eicher have gone to Mussoorie for a week to visit his parents, and attend a wedding. This means that I am holding the fort at JSK until the 4th of Jan., and my family leave on the 5th. God has been very gracious by providing a particularly quiet spell at work. We have no in patients at the moment, which means that I have the possibility of a lot more free time. Please pray that this will continue, so that I can spend as much time with my family as possible.
Amazingly Jo and I have not actually been to visit Mumbai proper since we arrived 3 months ago! this means that we are planning to enjoy exploring the Bazaars with my family. They left today to stay In Mumbai for 2 nights, and we plan to join them tomorrow for new year's eve in a hotel.
Cameron has also offered to babysit for Jo and I one night, so it will mean that we will be able to go on a date, which will be the first since arriving here (and probably the last for a while, given that the new baby will be arriving very soon!). We have been fairly careful to protect as much 'family time' as possible here, but it will be nice to have some 'A&J time' as well.
Please pray for us to make the right choice as to where we choose to settle for 'Church'. (I put this in inverted commas because we are all 'Church' all the time, aren't we! What I mean is that we could settle in the right body of believers on a Sunday, in order to share fellowship, worship, serve, grow, and be held accountable!!). At present we are really torn between a Baptist Church which is a Rickshaw drive away, but is more what we're used to, or the Brethren Church which meets in the Hospital. This is a great group of people who we love and respect, but the brethren ethos is a little different to what we are used to. I think that we could maybe be used more at the brethren Church, and it would be great to go to somewhere local.
On the baby front, Jo now only has 24 days to go before her due date! Added to this is the fact that Alistair came 8 days early, so it is fairly likely that we will have another addition to the family in only a couple of weeks!! Are we prepared? Probably as well as we can be, but your prayers would also be appreciated on that front as well. Pray especially for a quick, pain-free delivery, as they do not offer any pain-relief in labour here!!
Anyway, I generally try to keep these letters brief, so that people don't tire of reading them, so I think I'd better sign off now!
God bless, Love Adam, Jo, Alistair and Bump
Monday, December 26, 2005
Christmas Eve
Here we are in an outdoor pool on Christmas Eve! Inga (Adam's sister), Alistair, and Adam's mum are in the foreground. Adam's brother Cameron is catching a frisbee in the background, and Adam's arm is to the right of picture. It is strange being in such warm weather at Christmas. It makes it seem very un-Christmassy! There is also very little consumerism here which is nice.
Christmas Shopping!?
Here's dad and Alistair out shopping for christmas lunch. Mum's just phoned to remind me not to forget something or other. We had some "real good chicken". It was the first time Jo had cooked Christmas lunch, and she did a great job. We had My mum and dad, brother and sister with us, as well as Duncan, the medical student from the UK. A few of us weren't that well on Christmas day, but it was a great day!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Thanks Duncan
Christmas greetings to you all.
There is a medical student from London here at the moment. His name is Duncan, and he has his own blogger website called Bombay Nights. His first degree was English Honours, and so I have borrowed a piece he wrote on his website about Lok Hospital (with his permission). I think it hits the nail right on the head, and is so much more eloquently put than I would have managed!!:-
"Lok hospital does treat the poorest Harijan (untouchable) caste, or Dalits (oppressed) as they are also known, and it does treat those who cannot afford treatment, as well as link with the aids and village healthcare work. But there is more to it than that.
Firstly, the primary vision that Dr Alfred has is underpinned by an understanding that it is God who ultimately blesses us with healing through the physician, not simply the physicians skill, and this is his witness to the patients – that they will only get better by God’s grace.
Secondly, in India, most of the healthcare access is through GPs, who refer a patient for secondary health care, like in England. However, supposing a treatment the patient 1000 rupees at the hospital – the hospital will take around 600 of that and the GP will take around 400 rupees. This leads to a lot of endemic corruption, with GP’s requesting unnecessary procedures and investigations at the patient’s expense to line their own purses. This has the inevitable consequence of making healthcare unaffordable for the poorest Indians. But more significantly it leads to a 2 tier system of care since it is not in GP’s interests to help the poorest gain access to the overstretched and limited state-run medical care since they do not receive the same remunerations.
Lok hospital does 2 things to counteract this. It will not take referrals from GPs but sees people directly. It provides the best level of healthcare services to paying residents of Thane without deceiving them or recommending unnecessary care. Thus it has a growing reputation spreading by word of mouth, for excellence and integrity in the local community. It uses this revenue from wealthier patients, who come because of its reputation for honesty, to reduce its own overall running costs so that it can maintain a free healthcare service for those who cannot afford it. This model has another major cultural significance: if it were only to treat Harijans, apart from making it difficult to maintain financially, it would also mean that it was looked down on as a second-rate hospital by locals of higher caste helping to perpetuate a 2 tier system. What Lok is doing is giving the same quality of care to the higher caste individuals as to the Harijans, but significantly they see the same physicians, wait in the same rooms and are not segregated off into separate wards. Thus it is culturally more effective at promoting equality of treatment.
Thirdly, and most importantly with respect to the gospel, Lok DOES take referrals from other Christian NGOs (including their own Aids project) working amongst the poorest and most needy in the community. This opens vital doors for these workers – they are able to go into a household, and as well as sharing the gospel and ministering in their own capacities, they are able to see potentially sick people and offer referral to Lok for free assessment and treatment. This makes many people more willing to open their homes to Christians, and thus many more hear about Jesus than otherwise might. Additionally, not all the staff are Christian, so there is the witness to them – there is a meeting every Sunday night in the basement of the hospital for patients, where the Gospel is preached directly and clearly. Dr Alfred invites all the patients who are able to come, and many do, perhaps hearing the gospel for the first time. On his ward rounds, I frequently hear him entreat patients to give God thanks for their recovery or encourage family to ask the Lord for blessing on their loved ones or give thanks for blessing already received.
So I hope that gives you a better picture of what is going on here – it might, at face value, seem less worthy than simply using the hospital for the poorest Harijans, but it is a much more thought-through, culturally and spiritually aware strategy. In fact, plans to expand the hospital to over double it’s current size are well underway, with a new site and building plans already in place – work commences in February. The total funds needed for this work are £2 million GBP with payments being made on an instalment basis during the building work. Half of this is planned to be met from the hosptial’s own funds, but half will need to be raised from benefactors and charitable giving."
If you are interested in giving to this, please email tony.sergeant@icc.ac.uk. He is principal of ICC in Glasgow, but is also a member of the Thane trust board, the British arm of the charitable organisation which supports Lok hospital. He will be able to provide you with details of how to give.
On a personal note, we are all very well, and especially excited about my parents and brother and sister coming to Thane for Christmas and New-Year. On the baby front, Our bump now has it's head pointing in the right direction which is a real blessing. We did not want to contemplate a C-section here in India!! I think that we are getting a little excited now, as the last two friends of ours who had babies delivered 8 and 4 weeks early respectively. We now only have 5 weeks to go (OR LESS!!)
God bless, Adam, Jo, Alistair and bump
There is a medical student from London here at the moment. His name is Duncan, and he has his own blogger website called Bombay Nights. His first degree was English Honours, and so I have borrowed a piece he wrote on his website about Lok Hospital (with his permission). I think it hits the nail right on the head, and is so much more eloquently put than I would have managed!!:-
"Lok hospital does treat the poorest Harijan (untouchable) caste, or Dalits (oppressed) as they are also known, and it does treat those who cannot afford treatment, as well as link with the aids and village healthcare work. But there is more to it than that.
Firstly, the primary vision that Dr Alfred has is underpinned by an understanding that it is God who ultimately blesses us with healing through the physician, not simply the physicians skill, and this is his witness to the patients – that they will only get better by God’s grace.
Secondly, in India, most of the healthcare access is through GPs, who refer a patient for secondary health care, like in England. However, supposing a treatment the patient 1000 rupees at the hospital – the hospital will take around 600 of that and the GP will take around 400 rupees. This leads to a lot of endemic corruption, with GP’s requesting unnecessary procedures and investigations at the patient’s expense to line their own purses. This has the inevitable consequence of making healthcare unaffordable for the poorest Indians. But more significantly it leads to a 2 tier system of care since it is not in GP’s interests to help the poorest gain access to the overstretched and limited state-run medical care since they do not receive the same remunerations.
Lok hospital does 2 things to counteract this. It will not take referrals from GPs but sees people directly. It provides the best level of healthcare services to paying residents of Thane without deceiving them or recommending unnecessary care. Thus it has a growing reputation spreading by word of mouth, for excellence and integrity in the local community. It uses this revenue from wealthier patients, who come because of its reputation for honesty, to reduce its own overall running costs so that it can maintain a free healthcare service for those who cannot afford it. This model has another major cultural significance: if it were only to treat Harijans, apart from making it difficult to maintain financially, it would also mean that it was looked down on as a second-rate hospital by locals of higher caste helping to perpetuate a 2 tier system. What Lok is doing is giving the same quality of care to the higher caste individuals as to the Harijans, but significantly they see the same physicians, wait in the same rooms and are not segregated off into separate wards. Thus it is culturally more effective at promoting equality of treatment.
Thirdly, and most importantly with respect to the gospel, Lok DOES take referrals from other Christian NGOs (including their own Aids project) working amongst the poorest and most needy in the community. This opens vital doors for these workers – they are able to go into a household, and as well as sharing the gospel and ministering in their own capacities, they are able to see potentially sick people and offer referral to Lok for free assessment and treatment. This makes many people more willing to open their homes to Christians, and thus many more hear about Jesus than otherwise might. Additionally, not all the staff are Christian, so there is the witness to them – there is a meeting every Sunday night in the basement of the hospital for patients, where the Gospel is preached directly and clearly. Dr Alfred invites all the patients who are able to come, and many do, perhaps hearing the gospel for the first time. On his ward rounds, I frequently hear him entreat patients to give God thanks for their recovery or encourage family to ask the Lord for blessing on their loved ones or give thanks for blessing already received.
So I hope that gives you a better picture of what is going on here – it might, at face value, seem less worthy than simply using the hospital for the poorest Harijans, but it is a much more thought-through, culturally and spiritually aware strategy. In fact, plans to expand the hospital to over double it’s current size are well underway, with a new site and building plans already in place – work commences in February. The total funds needed for this work are £2 million GBP with payments being made on an instalment basis during the building work. Half of this is planned to be met from the hosptial’s own funds, but half will need to be raised from benefactors and charitable giving."
If you are interested in giving to this, please email tony.sergeant@icc.ac.uk. He is principal of ICC in Glasgow, but is also a member of the Thane trust board, the British arm of the charitable organisation which supports Lok hospital. He will be able to provide you with details of how to give.
On a personal note, we are all very well, and especially excited about my parents and brother and sister coming to Thane for Christmas and New-Year. On the baby front, Our bump now has it's head pointing in the right direction which is a real blessing. We did not want to contemplate a C-section here in India!! I think that we are getting a little excited now, as the last two friends of ours who had babies delivered 8 and 4 weeks early respectively. We now only have 5 weeks to go (OR LESS!!)
God bless, Adam, Jo, Alistair and bump
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