BIRDEM, BRAC and beyond

 

Sign translates:BIRDEM general hospital 

This hospital initially was created as the center for research and rehabilitation for Diabetes but has now grown to encompass every subspecialty. It is also the place that critical care in Bangladesh started and so it makes sense that we provide a workshop here as well. As the sole trainer today and yesterday I was fearful that it may not go as smoothly but without fail the participants showed me again why this is so fun. The group was smaller approximately 13 physicians but the energy and willingness to learn was as emphatic as any other group. They quickly picked up the concepts and lamented about the older machine they have in their ICU though not as functional as what we used today they still get a lot of use out of it. It's conversations like this that really make it clear how useful this quality machinery is, how much it's needed and how prohibitive the cost is. So, as planned, we have been making every attempt to find a way to make these machines more available to the hospitals here. Cue the meeting with a local group who deals in distributing high quality ultrasounds such as the one we have acquired--the discussion we had was to start a partnership wherein our training sessions are sponsored , a venture which will allow us to continue our efforts. 

So those of you who asked or wondered--how will ONE fundraised machine make a difference? We helped to introduce a new use for an old technology and by doing so in places where it is really needed we have generated interest and a buy-in. Obtaining a machine is one thing but helping others procure one and ensuring the education and training is quite another thing all together and I think in the long run will be the key to success.

To add to the excitement of the day I got a chance to sit down with someone I am a huge fan of, someone who has changed the face of humanitarianism, who has been successful in leading the charge against poverty, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder and chairman of BRAC. To me he is Abed uncle, a kind soul who is my fathers friend and might remember me as the clueless grade schooler then medical student who naively wanted to  do something to give back to the country with no real focus. He said to me today "ah so now you've come back with a teachable skill"..hearing the interest in his tone was the most priceless moment. While the meeting was brief we somehow covered the origins of oral saline, how cholera was defeated in Bangladesh and a discussion on the importance of empowering the women in each household in Bangladesh.  

When I was leaving he shook my hand and hugged me and said "thanks for coming to visit" and I was speechless--how do you thank the man who spends his life stamping out Poverty, who created the largest NGO in the world--for making time in his day to talk to one of his biggest fans. The only thing I could come up with is--let's continue what we are doing and strive to do more for the people of this country.