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India-Bound Doctor Seeks Help

Bhaswati Bhattacharya, who is with the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is going to India on December 19 to deliver medical supplies to clinics run by the American Association of Physicians from India.

Bhattacharya will be visiting Orissa, West Bengal and Gujarat, and is seeking contacts with community activists and medical doctors.

"The problem that most groups have had with similar missions is that the drugs and supplies end up on the black market because they are not hand-carried by experienced physicians directly to the clinic," Bhattacharya says.

"People in Orissa are at a point where the supplies will be most useful now, and not in several months."

Bhattacharya who has been raised in the United States is looking for volunteers who know Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati and Oriya languages.

"As I am not fluent in all Indian languages, I am looking for good-hearted contacts in India when I arrive who are interested in such volunteer work, to help me deliver supplies and help document the trip."

Bhattacharya is looking for a medical/public health student, preferably with Gujarati language skills, to work in Visnagar at the AAPI primary care/preventive medicine clinic.

"I will be working several weeks at a primary care/preventive medicine clinic in rural Gujarat, which is the passion of my work as a doctor," Bhattacharya says. "I am looking for people who are seeking experience with international medical groups, who are adventurous, and who are fast-thinking," Bhattacharya says.

"I will provide official mentorship as needed, and can promise you will learn a lot of public health, and probably see more pathology than you would like (in the patients, I mean).

"As a member of the team, you may learn to do health screening, participate in HIV prevention workshops from the perspective of your field, and learn the logistics of doing such work. You will also meet very interesting people, as some of this work is supported by good hearts in the Indian classical music arena, who will be in Ahmedabad during January.

"I will be as flexible as possible, but we will make it work if you are committed. You must be a low-maintenance traveller (experienced, tenacious, and curious)."

Bhattacharya has a bachelor's degree in biological basis of behavior/south Asia regional studies from the University of Pennsylvania, a master's degree in pharmacology/neuroscience from Columbia University, a master's degree in international health from Harvard University's School of Public Health, and an MD from Rush Medical College, Cook County Hospital.

For more information, contact (212) 645-6745; email: bhattb01@doc.mssm.edu.

If you would like to post any information about forthcoming events or community happenings, please email the details to bettypais@aol.com

Information and photographs can also be mailed to Betty Pais at 87-52 108th Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond Hill, NY 11418-2229, USA.

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