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To Lumbini, With Love
Volunteer U.S. doctors train eye care staff in Nepal
When ophthalmologists Dr. Neal Shorstein and Dr. Naveen Chandra took a break from their hectic schedules at Kaiser-Permanente Hospital in Walnut Creek, California, they spent a week volunteering at the Lumbini Eye Care Program in Nepal, one of Seva's flagship programs.
Neal and Naveen had heard great things about the work being done at Lumbini, but seeing it firsthand still took them by surprise.
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| "It's one thing to hear about the program," says Naveen, "but when I actually saw the magnitude of what they do — such a small staff treating huge numbers of patients, the techs doing all the optical exams, the doctors doing hundreds of surgeries a day — it was just staggering. The energy and passion they bring to their work is so inspiring." "We were tremendously impressed with the expertise of the staff," Neal adds. "The surgeons are highly skilled, and the entire staff is doing a great job. And it's not just the sheer volume of patients they serve that's so amazing — it's the sensitive and caring way they treat each one of those patients. That was wonderful to see." |
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Lumbini is a great example of Seva's approach to developing sustainable solutions that take root and grow. A key aspect of that approach involves investing in local people — training them to provide care for their own communities, and then supporting them in training others. Seva's volunteer program is one way we do that.
Collaborative Planning Works Best
"Seva doesn't present volunteers with predetermined objectives," explains Dr. Chundak Tenzing, Seva's Sight Program Director. "Our program partners have the best understanding of their own needs, and our volunteers know best how they can be of service. What we do is serve as a bridge between our programs and potential volunteers. We help them collaborate directly — then together, they can devise projects that really make an impact."
"The staff in Berkeley gave us a great orientation and put us in touch with the staff at Lumbini," Naveen recalls. "We developed a lively e-mail exchange and put together an agenda for our visit. It made for a very productive week, rather than just showing up and not understanding what was really needed."
"That meant we could teach what we do best," says Neal. "Naveen and I are primarily phacoemulsification surgeons, which means we use special ultrasound equipment. Not many hospitals in developing countries have phaco machines yet, but Lumbini does. They have several faculty members trained in phacoemulsification, but they were looking for more hands-on guidance — so we were delighted to provide them with exactly the kind of training they wanted."
Never Go Empty Handed!
Neal and Naveen arrived at Lumbini loaded down with over $36,000 worth of supplies and equipment. "The staff told us their needs," Naveen explained, "so we just started talking with the manufacturers and suppliers we know, and they came through with some wonderful donations." So did Neal and Naveen, who purchased some of the supplies themselves.
"So there we were," Neal recalls with a laugh, "going through customs loaded down with all this gear and supplies, including a dozen human corneas for transplanting — and schlepping this giant box with a diode laser we brought from the Seva office in Berkeley. We got some funny looks and raised a few eyebrows, but it all went through without a hitch."
Inspired by Lumbini's Success
Since their return, Neal and Naveen have kept in touch with the Lumbini staff, following up with post-op patient management and answering questions. Neal also hosted a visit from Dr. Sonam Dupdul of Seva's program in Tibet, arranging for Sonam to visit his operating room at Kaiser Permanente to observe modern surgical techniques.
"In the end, we felt we received more than we gave," said Naveen. "This is why we went into medicine in the first place! To be able to help at a grassroots level, and to see people who are so grateful for the benefits of the work — it makes me re-energized and passionate about what I can do next."
"I like to put my money where my mouth is," adds Neal, "so as soon as I got back, I immediately sent a donation to Seva. Then I sent an e-mail to all the ophthalmologists I know, asking them to consider making a donation. I said that I've seen firsthand where the money goes — and I can personally tell you it's going to very good use."
