This summer, I had an incredible opportunity to
work with SVYM and the VILD Foundation to learn about the Indian culture and
healthcare system. One of VILD Foundation’s objectives is to form and support
self-help groups, which mostly comprise of women, to produce and sell handmade
products to earn additional income for their families. I had multiple chances
to visit them in their villages and learning about their lives. In addition, I
also visited some health facilities such as primary healthcare centers and was
really impressed by how their organization and dedicated staff. Everywhere we
go, we were welcomed and received so much support from the people here.
Conducting the diabetes camp
My project focused on
the Diabetes Screening Camp and generating some educational materials about
diabetes to follow up. The main aim of the camp was to identify diabetic
patients and to follow up and provide some information to the population about
the disease. We also wanted to assess the effectiveness of the Indian Diabetes
Risk Score in pre-screening and quickly selecting only those with high risk of
diabetes for blood glucose tests. This is due to the lack of availability and
time to perform such tests. The camp was a great success with over 90
participants and we found 24 new cases of people with hypertension and diabetes.
All of the participants were also taught simple yoga poses as a form of
exercise to be done at home.
Kieu at work at VLEAD
Throughout my time
here, not only did I have the chance to meet and form lasting relationship with
amazing, humble and passionate people here who are working hard to improve the
lives of others, I also get to apply all of my knowledge into real life. I
learned the importance of integrating cultural and local context into
questionnaires and how to navigate the professional environment and intercultural
interactions. Overall, this experience has been extremely meaningful and
enriching to me and have reinforced my wish to pursue a career in global health
with a focus on Asia.
