This morning started a little later than the previous ones. With some time to lounge before setting off, we were well rested and ready to start the day at 10am. We loaded into our van and set off for one of Aravind Eye Care System’s (AECS) many outreach camps, which was set up in a religious center closer to the outskirts of Madurai. While Aravind’s main hospital and research center is incredibly impressive, the outreach camp was uniquely inspiring to all of us. Here we could see the kind of work that happens at the grassroots level and the true commitment that this organization has to all people of India. The camp’s main goal is to provide an accessible screening clinic for those who would not have the resources or the opportunity to travel to the main hospital. In this way, many, many more underserved populations are able to be screened, diagnosed, and prioritized for treatment. More than 300 people are seen in a day at this camp alone, and AECS has 15+ monthly camps around Madurai and beyond.

Our van pulled up the the clinic, and we disembarked into the Madurai heat. This was the hottest day so far, but the sunshine was welcome after the days of rain before. As we rounded the corner towards the entrance we were first met with the sight of many shoes lying out around the stairs to the main hall. We removed our shoes, left them alongside all of the others, and climbed the stairs into the main center. 50+ people were seated inside, all efficiently organized into 5 stations.

I was particularly struck by the thought put into how to most effectively set up a system that would be able to serve hundreds of people of all demographics including the illiterate or blind. In one section, small booths were set up to test refraction in order to recommend eye glass strength. The technicians mentioned that refraction was usually determined with an eye test set 6 meters away, but because of the limited space they had modified the test to work at 3 meters. I thought that this “let’s just make it work” attitude was inspiring and very different from the rigidly regulation-oriented systems in the United States.

 There was a commitment there to bringing eye care to the people no matter the barriers placed by resources or location. This was also particularly demonstrated by the impressive timeline of treatment. This camp would diagnose those who needed surgery, and that surgery would be scheduled for the next day at the main hospital. They wasted no time in getting care to the people who most needed it.

We then had the incredible opportunity to interview a new patient at the clinic. We brainstormed questions that we thought were important and pertinent, and Arun led the interview in Tamil. The patient was so gracious and willing to answer our questions, and she was not unnerved one bit by this large group surrounding her. She spoke about her respect for AECS, and we all laughed with her when she energetically commented that she wasn’t scared for her cataract surgery. She knew AECS would do a good job, and the faith that she had in AECS only increased our respect for the institution. The chance to talk with a patient was really special, and it made this high-volume work seem more personal. Although many people are seen daily at the AECS main hospital and clinics, each person is unique and important and is getting a chance to see better because of this institution. I was very moved by how many lives were being changed because of the work done there.

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We loaded back into our van and went to a buffet-style lunch at a nearby hotel. It was deemed the “spiciest food so far!” by some. This was an opportunity to relax and re-energize for the second half of the day.

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Our next stop was the Gandhi Museum. Set back from the road, this museum was beautiful and spacious. It was really a treat, especially for those of us with a Western education that never really went into the details of the astounding work that Gandhi did to free India from colonial rule. Everything that Gandhi said sounded like poetry, and I found myself snapping pictures of his quotes all around the museum so that I could look back on them for inspiration long after I left India. I inserted one quote that seemed particularly beautiful and relevant. “I do not want my house to be walled in all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible but I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” I think this quote speaks to exactly what we are doing here in India. The cross-cultural exchange of ideas is a privilege, but it is something that we should all strive for throughout our lives. Our group is here in India to let the culture of all lands blow around our house, as Gandhi would put it. By recognizing all there is to learn through AECS and through this country as a whole we can grow as people. But perhaps more importantly, we can allow this experience to alter the way we see healthcare and service as we go back to the United States and launch our careers in medicine, research, and public health. We can “refuse to be blown off our feet by any [one culture]” as we attempt to integrate all of our experiences at home and abroad. I personally left the Gandhi museum with new inspiration to make a difference in this world.

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We headed back to Inspiration House for some needed downtime before meeting back to head out for dinner.

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A few hours later, we started our journey to the Taj Hotel. As we stepped out of the van into the cool night air, we found ourselves up on a hilltop and were greeted with a beautiful nighttime view of Madurai below. We strolled around the grounds before ending up in the restaurant for a decadent meal. This was another opportunity to sample all kinds of delicious Indian food from the North and South. I have personally loved how open everyone on this trip has been to trying every kind of food available no matter how foreign it seems. We battle the spiciness, but it is all worth it. When in India…

Maya Raghavan