Hospital staff set off on India mission

Medical experts from Sunderland are currently in India providing help and education to a community in one of the country’s poorest areas.

About 20 staff from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and other parts of the North East East are spending a week based at Walawalkar Hospital in Dervan on India’s West coast.

While there, they will perform life-changing operations, with the specialities involved including urology, plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, eye surgery, general surgery, gynaecology, radiology and anaesthetics.

Biomedical engineering staff from South Tyneside District Hospital are supporting the clinical work by repairing and maintaining Walawalkar's essential medical equipment.

The annual medical mission was the idea of consultant anaesthetist Dr Sanjay Deshpande.

During a family holiday in 2005, Dr Deshpande witnessed the dedication and commitment of the staff at the hospital – despite limited resources.

Since then, people have had their sight restored, facial deformities corrected, hernias repaired and joints replaced.

He said: “While the operations themselves are the ‘quick wins’, education and training are equally as important.

“Our ultimate aim is to ensure that the staff of Walawalkar Hospital are fully equippedwiththeknowledge, skills and facilities to provide people with the healthcare they need and deserve.”

The trip is arranged by the SVJC Trust charity.