This summer, I was privileged to be able to work and study with
SVYM through the India Global Service learning program. The first two weeks
were spent in Mysore, taking classes with Indian professors about a variety of
subjects such as caste, Indian literature and the Indian Healthcare system. It
enjoyed these two weeks incredibly because I had a chance to adjust to my
surroundings, bond with my cohort and prepare myself for the next six project
weeks.
After the two weeks concluded, I had the privilege of working on a
maternity healthcare project in Vivekananda Memorial Hospital, located in
Saragur. First, I identified trends in maternal delivery data. I found that
there were more home deliveries in the tribal villages that SVYM serves than
there are in Karnataka.Next, I analyzed cases of home deliveries and created a
home delivery survey. I characterized women who delivered at home by site,
month of delivery and other demographic factors and compared it with data from
all deliveries. My mentor, Dr. Manohar, and I then made a survey to be given
out to women who had delivered at home. The surveys were implemented in two
villages. Finally, I wrote a paper on the characteristics of home deliveries
from 2013-2017. We found that women who had delivered at home had a higher
gravidity and a greater number of living children than women who delivered at
an institution. This project period allowed me to gain a better understanding
of the role of NGOs in development and the holistic nature of the work that
SVYM does. It also gave me insight on the day-to-day work of community health
leaders, a role that I hope to play in my career.
During my field experience, I was able to see that intercultural competency is critical in working in an international setting. Global Health courses at Cornell stress the cultural intricacies that affect intervention delivery, but I found that intercultural competency, humility and respect also affects the way that we work with local organizations and healthcare professionals. I definitely learned to focus more on the process, rather than just the outcome. I was so lucky to have participated in this program and really hope that I will be able to go back and visit SVYM in the future!
The
Mobile Health Unit used for community Health Work
With
one the mentors, Dr. Padmaja, an ob-gyn!
