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January '10 Visit by Karen T

2010-01-21T19:49:00.001-05:00

During my recent visit to Meherabad and Meherazad, I visited the Meher Free Dispensary three times. Each time, I was impressed with the caliber of love and service offered to each villager seeking medical assistance at the clinic.

My first visit was to the general clinic that meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
We arrived at 10 a.m. to find the clinic bustling with patients. The three doctors were seeing patients, the pharmacy workers were busy fulfilling prescriptions, and the outside area of the clinic was crowded with patients waiting to be seen. Dr. Michael Ramsden, the Dispensary director, gave us a very complete tour of each room in the clinic. That day happened to be the birthday of one of the doctors. A surprise cake was brought to the break room at 11:00 a.m. We enjoyed a glimpse of the camaraderie of the medical staff.

At break-time, Michael introduced me to the medical and support staff members, several of whom worked for Dr. Goher, founder of the Dispensary, in the original Meherazad clinic. I was impressed with the longevity of several staff members along with the dedication of the recent hires.

While I was there, shipments of medication arrived, and I had the opportunity to see the shelves being stocked. I also saw the specific method the clinic uses for stocking the pharmacy shelves to efficiently dispense medications

The following Monday my husband and I visited the Epilepsy clinic. Many villagers had traveled many kilometers to receive treatment and medication. According to Michael Ramsden, the highest cost for the clinic is medication for epilepsy patients; but if these patients faithfully stay on their medication regime for two years, there is the hope of remaining seizure-free.

I returned the following Monday to see the Diabetes clinic. There were at least fourteen patients who had traveled to the clinic for treatment for symptoms other than diabetes. Several had traveled over 125 kilometers. When I arrived, Michael, with the help of a translator, was explaining to each of the non-diabetic patients that they could only be seen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. They were each given a ticket, so they could be seen first the following day. Michael then took considerable time from his busy schedule to explain the care given to diabetic patients for their diabetes and for related health concerns.

That day, Michael was expecting a new machine that would provide average blood sugar levels for diabetic patients (Hemoglobin A1C). Given the nature of the roads, it took longer than expected for the driver of the machine to arrive. As soon as the machine arrived, it was put to immediate use. A blood sample was given to the person who had come to provide instructions on the use of the machine. As it turned out, the patient, whose blood was being checked was in great need of diabetic medication. I was pleased to see new equipment arriving for the benefit of the clinic patients.

All in all, I was very impressed with every facet of the operation of the clinic. Constant and loving medical care is being provided free of cost to each patient. My final thought is that Dr. Goher would be very pleased to see the continuation of her vision.

My visit to Meher Free Dispensary

2009-12-31T15:47:00.004-05:00

In early November, I was in Meherabad (Ahmed Nagar, Maharashtra) for 5 days and on one of the days, I visited and spent a day at the Meher Free Dispensary. There have been blogs about the dispensary but I am excited enough to write about my visit to the dispensary.

In the past, I had been to the dispensary but never went early enough or spent long enough time to catch the action at the dispensary. I am told people from neighboring villages show up by 7 AM and since the dispensary can only handle a limited number of patients per day, priority numbers (tokens) are given out on a first-come first-served basis. With the current resources, the dispensary sees about 120 patients a day. It may sound unreal but sometimes villagers wait overnight to be seen by the doctors the next day.

I arrived at Meherazad at around 9:15 AM. Daphne Klein, a supporter of the dispensary, was also with me. We met up with Falu Mistry (one of the trustees of Meher Free Dispensary) and walked to the dispensary. Falu gave us a guided walking tour to the dispensary. Along the way, we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and also saw people heading to the dispensary on foot, on bicycles, on motorcycles, in jeeps, and so on. By the time we arrived at the dispensary, the dispensary was buzzing with patients – there were kids, young, and older folk. At the dispensary, we met Michael Ramsden, who is the administrator of the Meher Free Dispensary. Michael took us through the whole procedures for patient registration, processing the paper work, pre-examination, doctor’s examination, and dispensing the medicine. We visited the examination rooms, lab, doctors’ rooms, and the pharmacy. In between I took time to chat with the patients (though I don’t speak Marathi, most of them understood Hindi). They were so grateful that the dispensary is providing such a great medical care at free of cost. They were also happy that I took several pictures of them.

As a supporter of Meher Fund and the Meher Free Dispensary, it is very gratifying to see the little bit of effort I put in to support the dispensary has such an impact, in a remote village in rural India. You read about these things and hear about them but there is nothing like seeing it and experiencing it – best of all, we all can make it happen.

I also managed to meet the doctors and all the volunteers during a 10-mibute tea break. I also visited the beautiful staff quarters overlooking the Seclusion Hill.

BTW, I did take some pictures and I was going to post them but after seeing Craig Lawn’s introductory video of Meher Fund and the Meher Free Dispensary, I was inspired to put together a slide show. My teenage daughter Shireen offered to help and she did. To open the slide show click here.

Laura's final post from MFD

2009-11-14T19:56:00.002-05:00

MFD November 1, 2009

As I prepare to leave India my thoughts turn to this last month at the Dispensary and as the Medical person on call at Meherazad.

The month has been full. The field of marigolds and asters are being harvested that were planted for Diwali back in July. Diwali is the Hindu festival of light and it was celebrated on the 17 – 21st of October. It is a five day festival celebrating Ram’s return after being in exile. Its significance is as important to the Hindus as Christmas is to Christians. It has its parallels to Christianity as well as other religions. Jesus is the light of the world. In Judaism the celebration of Hanukkah is also called the festival of light. In paganism it is the returning of the sun, the light at the winter solstice. It is a family holiday and a holiday for the Meher Free Dispensary Staff. Considering that the Indian work week is 6 days a week with 9 hour days and a one and a half hour lunch break, it is no doubt, a well deserved holiday.

I felt happy to fill in for Uswala, the nurse, while she took an additional four days off to be with family. I spent the week doing injections and dressings. The average number of injections each day at MFD varies but between15-30 is routine. The types of injections given at MFD include injections for pain relief, vitamin supplementation, steroids and on occasion tetanus or a dose of antibiotics.

A couple of the patients that I had been seeing daily for the past two to three weeks were healed enough that our contact was complete. There is always a feeling of satisfaction to see a case through to completion. One of these was a woman that had a boil on the skin which abscessed and had to be surgically excised. The surgery was done by a physician at the local hospital in Ahmednagar; however it required daily sterile packing of the wound and dressing changes as it was left to granulate in. After approximately three weeks it was completely healed. I understood from the woman that the surgeon was very pleased and surprised with the care she was receiving at the Dispensary when he saw the wound 5 days post op.

The other was a Meherazad worker who had stepped on a Babul thorn; it went deep into his foot. Babul thorns are quite nasty. I attempted to remove it under local anesthetic but was unsuccessful. I couldn’t even see it. I treated with antibiotics, foot baths, daily dressing changes, and waited for the body to naturally expel it. After 12 days, still no luck with it coming out. I consulted with one of the local homeopaths and they suggested the patient try a homeopathic remedy Silca 30. Thankfully it worked. I was flabbergasted as the thorn that came out intact was about one and a half inches long. Within 24 hours he was walking normally.

I have enjoyed my 6 months at the Dispensary. It has been a gift to be there for that length of time. The patients become familiar and relationships become established making it a rich and rewarding experience for all. I can’t express enough my gratitude to all who contribute to the Meher Fund for making it possible to provide this care. Without your generous donations none of this would be possible.

Babies and Children, Laura's Story

2009-10-07T18:19:00.004-04:00

October 6, 2009

The people that come to the Dispensary are from all walks of life, all religions, all classes and castes. They are old, blind, deaf, crippled, with simple problems like colds and flu and complicated problems, and diseases that are unheard of in the West. They come in cars, rickshaws, bicycles, motorbikes and on foot and sometimes in an ox cart. Those that most often bring a smile to my face, though, are the young ones, the babies, the toddlers, and the children. They come with their parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and older siblings.

Each day as I walk to and from the Dispensary the family that lives on the corner brings out their youngest to say Hi and wave at me. I see her sometimes playing quietly in the field where her parents and grandparents are working. She is saying a few English words. At first she didn’t know what to make of me, but now I have become a familiar face. Her name is Tunuja and, because she is a healthy child, it is only occasionally that she visits the Dispensary. When she does visit she comes with her “Aji”. Aji is Marathi for grandmother.

Last week I walked out of the staff quarters to find a mother and daughter lost and looking for the Dispensary. The daughter, age seven, is one of our epilepsy patients. They got lost because they were walking and had come from a different direction than their previous visit and this was their second visit to the Dispensary. I quickly finished my morning chores and we walked to the Dispensary together. Every other Monday the Dispensary provides care to epileptics. We currently see about 200; thirty two of them are children. I always feel happy when the medical note says ‘no seizures’ since last visit.

Besides giving medications and providing doctors’ visits, the Meher Free Dispensary pays for certain medical procedures that are needed. One of our young clients has Thalassemia and needs blood transfusions every three months. His name is Sandip and everyone knows him as he has been coming to the Dispensary for years. He is now 15 and has a beautiful smile.

The Dispensary is currently looking for a pediatrician to see the pediatric patients on our caseload. During the last 6 months the staff at the Dispensary had 1,183 visits from children, 887 were established patients and 296 were new.

The new administration window was put into use this week. The trick now is to change the routines and set a new flow as the patients come in for registration. Consequently there is lots of experimentation going on to see what works best.

Simple Gifts, Laura's Story

2009-09-15T12:03:00.003-04:00

September 11, 2009

As I write this entry on today’s date, I can’t help but think of the twin towers eight years ago and the concerns about bio terrorism that followed. The fear around the swine flu seems to have passed, I recently heard of a bill board in Mumbai that read “the fear spreads faster than the flu”. We are seeing lots of cold and seasonal flu at the Dispensary some of which is probably swine flu. Testing for the specific strain of flu is only being done if there are complications. We saw 173 patients yesterday morning. It seems the whole village of Pimpalgaon must be sharing this particular cold virus.

The rain has returned and along with it the mosquitoes. Last week a very sick man showed up at the Dispensary and with all the concern about swine flu every one became afraid when he said he has had the high fever for four days. He was visibly very ill. As it turned out it was malaria, the first case of the season.

My face has become more and more familiar to the locals and as a result I find that I am the recipient of spontaneous acts of kindness. One day as I was walking back to the Dispensary after lunch I met a man riding his bicycle. There was a bag hanging on the handle bars. Just as we were about to pass one another he stopped suddenly and much to my surprise he pulled three beautiful pomegranates out of the bag giving them to me. When I looked puzzled he pointed to the Dispensary and said “baksheesh” the translation being a gift given with love. I smiled and walked off, touched by this simple exchange.

Sometimes the gifts are lifts on the back of a motor bike or simple conversations. Yesterday I met a man bringing his 2 children to the Dispensary. They all had the cough and cold that is going around the village, but he told me it was his little son’s birthday, giving me the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday . The smiles in response to that were magnificent to behold. Almost always the greetings here are a gesture of hands together in prayer at the temples and then the finger tips touching the heart and opening out with a resounding Jai Baba!

Laura's Dispensary Story, Part 6

2009-09-06T22:45:00.002-04:00

There has been a hushed and almost solemn atmosphere at the Dispensary the last couple of weeks, as swine flu and the ensuing fear of swine flu came on full force. There were 12 deaths attributed to swine flu in Pune. There are some questions about whether it was the flu or the poor conditions in the public hospital that caused the deaths. One of the deaths was an aruveydic doctor, so it underlined the risk of flu to health care practitioners and workers. In both the cities of Admednagar and Pune, schools were out for a week in hopes of preventing spread of the flu. The first week in Admednagar in the market place everyone had there nose and mouths covered with bandanas. It was an eerie sight.

At Meher Free Dispensary, each day twice a day I have been giving a public service announcement with the intent of calming fears and giving accurate information. Information is given about the flu, how it is spread, when and where to seek emergency treatment and measures for prevention. There are nods of acknowledgement and appreciation from the audience and always rapt attention as I am speaking.

Only public hospitals can test for swine flu; only public hospitals have stocks of tamiflu in India and they have been inundated with patients. Now only those who have been sick for more than five days or have been overseas or in Pune are being tested. So the actual numbers of cases are uncertain. This is the flu season here so of course without blood tests there is no way to tell the difference.

The monsoon rains have returned and we have seen lower numbers of patients at the clinic as the journey to get to the Dispensary becomes much more difficult. With heavy rain the roads turn in to rivers and thick mud is difficult for wheeled vehicles. I am continually amazed at the determination of the human spirit to overcome these obstacles and seek what it needs.

Laura part 5: Moog fields and Happy

2009-08-11T21:36:00.002-04:00

Life here has its own rhythm and the days begin to meld into one another. The moog field however lets me know time is passing. Yesterday the farmer workers were there picking the beans and as the plants come to fruit, the leaves begin to yellow and die.There has been three weeks with no rain and the farmers are now irrigating the fields. Now I understand the symmetry of the rows and the reason the plants are planted on hills of soil. The water is brought down beside the plants and the troughs are created for the purpose of holding the water.

Last Sunday some of the Dispensary staff went on a picnic to Happy Valley, it was a big day, starting off with visiting Meherabad and Meher Baba’s Samadhi for morning prayers. Raul the pharmacist lives in Dongargoan a small village adjacent to Happy Valley, he acted as host and guide. As I walked on hills and valleys of that area it was like I was walking on Grandmother Earth, a feeling of the ancient old woman, who has weathered many storms and changes.

The construction of the new window in the dispensary is complete. Now the old window is being closed up and plastered. The plaster has to be watered for 7 days so that it doesn’t dry too quickly and crumble. The front waiting area, pharmacy waiting area and area of the construction will then have a fresh coat of paint. The new window will then be ready for use.

The Dispensary staff spent two afternoons last week moving files, patients case notes, to an adjoining room so the painting could be accomplished, a some what daunting task. There was, however, great team work and it was completed with a pleasant feeling of accomplishment and job well done.

On the medical front, there has been one death from Swine flu reported in Pune (2 hours away) and approximately 80 identified cases. At present there is no way to test for that strain of influenza in Ahmednagar. Educating, and attempting to minimize the spread of the disease, is the primary plan here.

from Laura: Treatments and Cobras

2009-08-02T13:35:00.006-04:00

I have now been at the Dispensary for two months. I am beginning to recognize the regular patients and they recognize me as well. My ear too is becoming more attuned to the language; I am picking up a few words. I generally spend my time in the pharmacy area filling prescriptions, but twice now I have filled in for the nurse when she was out. I really enjoy the patient contact. I gave injections, dressed wounds, and did breathing treatments. There was a young woman here last week with an acute asthma attack. I administered a breathing treatment, and in fifteen minutes she was much improved. It is always rewarding when you are able to see such immediate results.

The rainy weather has continued, so coughs colds and body aches are the most common complaints we are seeing at the Dispensary. This week on Wednesday we saw 100 established patients and 37 new patients; an additional 30 new patients were given chits to come back on Thursday as we had reached capacity by 9 am that morning. Those that are not seen are given priority the next day but I always find it hard to turn people away.

The moog field has lots of beans developing and since the rain the adjacent fields have also been planted. There is a crop of marigolds, for Diwali (the festival of lights) in October, and a field of onions. Speaking of festivals, last Sunday was the Nag Panchami festival, a Hindu holiday honoring the cobra. It is a day for women, to relax and have fun. Just a few days before that I saw a cobra in the field in front of the Dispensary. Yikes!!! It was about 6 feet long and thankfully it was rapidly moving away from me.

Rain at the Meher Free Dispensary

2009-07-21T22:13:00.001-04:00

Rain at the Meher Free Dispensary.

from Laura: The Moog Field

2009-07-18T16:20:00.006-04:00

As of the 1st of July Maharastra State had only received ten percent of the average rain fall for this time of year, and what had come had been spotty. We have been blessed at Meherazad and the Dispensary with a bit more rain than other places. The last week has brought more rain, cooler nights, cloudy days and a strong wind especially in the afternoons. The field I walk by each morning has Moog growing, a bean crop that looks very healthy. Mitra, one of the other volunteers at the Dispensary, calls it Laura’s Field as I was so excited when I saw the first seedlings popping up. They are now about knee high.

The changing of the seasons and the wet and cooler weather is a difficult time of the year for people here. The damp weather brings colds and other respiratory conditions. The water sources get contaminated from the rain, causing an increase in gastrointestinal complaints, diarrhea and parasites. The dampness also seems to cause an increase in joint pain and arthritic conditions. Those complaints are what we are treating most frequently at the dispensary right now. We see the spectrum of ages from the very young to the very old and infirm. I couldn’t resist taking some photos last week of the young boy with his heavy cap covering his head. It was a busy morning, but everyone seemed to perk up when I took out the camera.

Laura's Third Week: Remodeling Project

2009-07-12T12:27:00.004-04:00

It is my third week here, and the dispensary is beginning a small remodeling project. A larger window is being built between the waiting room and the office where case notes ( patients files) are kept and clerical work is done. This larger window will allow for two people to sit and check patients in during the morning, adding some ease to the flow.

The dispensary sees between 100-150 patients per morning, 4 days per week, with a limit of 150, so efficient and caring ways to complete the processing are always being sought.

The staff spent one day moving furniture, supplies and covering the files of case notes in anticipation of the dust and dirt from sawing through walls. We were hoping for it all to be complete in three or four days, but 3 weeks later, because of some complications with drying cement, we are continuing to work around the construction and are looking forward to the day when it will be completed.

All of Meher Baba’s photos in the waiting area have been taken down to protect them from dust, as well as the potential for damage during the remodeling project. I had a touching encounter with a very tiny old village woman during the morning check in when she looked at me with imploring eyes and gestured: ‘Where are the photos of Baba?’ It was a reminder of who is in charge of the healing that happens here and the sometimes mysterious ways in which it comes about.

from Laura: Working at the Dispensary, July 2, 2009

2009-07-03T09:28:00.007-04:00

Everyone is waiting patiently for the monsoons to come. It is very hot and dry, today the sky looks promising, we go up to the roof of the dispensary and look out across the horizon, it looks like it might be raining in Admednagar , but the locals don’t think we will get any rain today it seems it will go north of us. The next day, however, it does come, in the evening, with lots of lightning and thunder to announce its arrival. Everything looks clean and fresh giving us all a momentary reprieve from the dust that seems to be a constant here. The next day also a heavy rain in the evening and night , the field that I have been walking through each day to shorten my walk to work has become quite muddy, I am warned that one more day of rain and it will be impossible to walk there with out sinking . I marvel as I walk to work at all the little sprouts of green popping up everywhere, where just two days ago there was only dirt and dry brown grass.

Now it is no longer hot and dry but hot and humid!!! I am walking to work and even though the morning is cool by the time I turn the corner towards the dispensary I feel a thin layer of perspiration covering me, I hear a van coming up behind me the van stops and offers me a ride, normally I wouldn’t accept a ride with strangers but I know the only place to go from here is to the dispensary. It is a small mini van, compared to those in the US it looks like a toy; happily I climb inside with 5 others, 4 women and a man. They have driven from Shendi some 10 kilometers away to see the doctors here at the dispensary. The man in the back speaks some English, he asks if I am a doctor, and I reply no a sister as that is what they call nurses here, I get a big smile from the women in the van.

Today there are a lot of women in the waiting room, they are here to see the two women doctors that are here today, Dr. Joshi an OB/Gyn and Dr. Paithankar. My duties include greeting each patient and giving them a number and getting their weight, I have learned a few phrases of Marathi, and I ask if they are a new patient or established, as a new patient needs to have a history taken by one of our staff members who speak the language. After the patients have been weighted and given a number, I go to the office and prepare the case papers , making sure there is a clean place for the doctor to write notes and stamping the proper date. By the time that is finished the doctors have arrived, and I go to the pharmacy to begin filling prescription orders. As it turns out the women in the van are established patients. Through out the morning as they see me at my different task and as our eyes connect I am rewarded with a big smile, I can see the gratitude they have for the dispensary and the services it offers.

from Laura: Her first narrative

2009-06-15T19:29:00.003-04:00

Note: Laura is a Nurse Practitioner and Mid-Wife from the USA who has begun a 4 month stay in India to volunteer at the Meher Free Dispensary. This is her initial entry.

It is my first day as a volunteer at the Meher Free Dispensary. I awake to a beautiful sunrise and a cloudless morning with the promise of a hot and dry day as I look out at Seclusion Hill. All the fields around the residents' quarters are plowed and awaiting the monsoons. It has been a hot summer, all the grasses a brittle brown. Summer is, however, the time when the Gulmohar trees bloom, so the landscape is dotted with bright orange against green leaves and clear blue sky, vibrant and beautiful.

I make my way across the field and down the dirt road towards the Dispensary, feeling like a little kid on the way to her first day at school. I am greeted along the road with Jai Baba! as I pass the few locals who are out doing morning milking and household chores. Occasionally a motor bike passes; again, I get a big smile and a Jai Baba! as everyone knows I am going to the Dispensary, just as they are. As I turn the corner and the Dispensary comes into view, it is 7:15 am. I can see the veranda is filled, even at this distance, the bright colors of the women’s sari’s stand out.

It is diabetes day at the clinic. Every other Monday is dedicated to diabetics. These patients are controlled with oral hypoglycemics--a gift the dispensary is able to give them. In the west, adult onset diabetes seems to be related to excess weight, not so here. I find myself doing a double take as I weigh the patients; most weigh between 40-50 kilograms, which is 80 – 100 pounds. These patients often have concurrent heart problems, so my first day is quite busy filling prescriptions and working with the pharmacist.

By 1:30 pm we have seen all the patients and filled all prescriptions. I leave feeling satisfied to know that I have contributed in some small way to these people who manage with so little.

from Bob: After 40 years

2009-06-07T15:17:00.008-04:00

Awakened in the early morning, I heard the thud of a bullock cart pass outside my windows. Dogs started barking in the distance, intertwined with the eerie, melodious voice of a man singing his prayers. As my mind tried to register my place and time, the gong sounded five times, in rhythmic pairs of two beats, signaling the end of the night and the beginning of a new day. I was in rural Western India and it was time to rise.

I heated milk, whole and fresh from a local cow, on the small burner, then added Indian Nescafe and sat in the cool darkness looking over the countryside. Gradually, the eastern horizon, with its stark and ancient hills, then the fields and farmers’ huts became illuminated as the sun rose, once again. It seems strange that it is only here that the daily revolution of the Earth is mystical to me.

At 7, after washing and dressing, I began walking toward the Meher Free Dispensary, along a dirt path and road, winding through fields. I was not in a hurry so it would take about 30 minutes. The path was rutted in places by the previous monsoon which, in this chronically drought stricken area, was a sign of good rains. Spiked trees, stunted by adaptation to the arid clime, sprouted from the hilly countryside surrounding me. My shadow, long and distorted, walked before me.

Two women, sari clad, gathered millet into burlap bags for sale at the market. A couple surveyed their green fields while discussing some private issue between themselves. A young woman in a red striped sari smiled shyly from a field of corn. I hailed each one and was hailed in return.

Seclusion Hill rose up to my left, barely lit on its western side, outlined by the sun behind. It seemed sacred, seen for thousands of years from this spot, perhaps, and used, as the name implied, as a place of seclusion by saints and seekers. Behind it rose Khandoba Hill, where the temple of the surrounding villages was maintained. And ahead, around a turn, would stand the Dispensary.

Other people, dressed in the varying attire of the area, moved toward the same destination. White clad farmers, some with red turbans festooning their heads, along with younger men in slacks and shirts, walked or rode bicycles or motorcycles or drove wooden carts, pulled by large horned bullock. Women, all in colorful saris or long ‘Punjabi’ shirts and slacks, also journeyed along the road, some with children of varying ages. The children eyed me with curiosity and smiled and waved. Children are universal, requiring no introduction or translation to be friends.

I turned a corner and circled to my left, following the road. Soon the Dispensary appeared ahead and to my right, painted, columned and lovely. Crowds of people already waited to be a given a ‘chit’ which admitted them to a doctor’s care.

I walked up the steps and entered the waiting room, where many people milled about or sat on stone benches waiting to be called inside, where the lab or doctors were. Whole families, with mother, father, grandmother, children and grandchildren were there for one person. Protective, in groups they circled around the sick member patiently, knowing that the cure lay within. Seeing me they turned, together, and smiled, perhaps posing for a picture, suddenly without cares. I smiled and opened the door that led me inside.

A beautiful courtyard, adorned with blazing flowers and deep green grass lay in the center of a circular stone hall with well made wooden doorways opening to treatment or laboratory rooms all around. I spied Michael, the Dispensary director, a British transplant by way of Los Angeles, and walked over to where he was busy discussing an issue with the pharmacist, Rahul. Gaya, who assisted with the logistics of patients and doctors and had worked at the Dispensary for 25 years, smiled as she bustled past.

I thought back on the single room where the Dispensary had begun almost 40 years before, where I had assisted, and the small building which followed and where I first worked as a doctor 30 years ago. I looked around me at the people now lining the corridors, old and young, men and women, sitting or standing patiently and chatting quietly with neighbors and friends. The same feeling came over me which I had had when I first entered the Dispensary many years ago. This place really is more than a clinic where people come to have their sickness or injuries treated. A happy and peaceful atmosphere pervades which could only be present through the caring and love of those who work here.

Michael and Rahul finished their conversation and Michael signaled to follow him. My day at the Meher Free Dispensary had begun.

Dr. Gauri Joshi Joins MFD

2009-05-24T14:21:00.002-04:00

Dr. Gauri Joshi, M.B.B.S., D.G.O. (equivalent of M.D. of OB/GYN in USA) has joined the staff of Meher Free Dispensary. She is seeing female patients 3 days a week and replaces Dr. Zaware, who joined her physician husband to start a hospital in the nearby city of Ahmednagar. Medical/Social issues unique to women in this area include anemia, other nutritional and child-care problems, and abuse. Her addition to the staff maintains the strong outreach which the MFD has built and maintained in the area.

Mr. Rahul Bhutkar, D.Pharm, is now directing the MFD pharmacy.

from Falu: February 25, 2009

2009-04-19T10:34:00.005-04:00

I was on my daily walk (cum rounds to check on work done at different sites) at around 5 pm when I came across an old lady, short and stooped with a stick, who stops me and says, " I am afraid of the bull standing there", pointing to it where it was standing at the side of the unpaved track and continued, "will you accompany me until we have gone past it.”

I said to her, "Come aji (grandma), I will take you." Had the bull really charged I wonder what I would have done? What bravado! I kept the beast in the line of sight at all times until we were at a safe distance.

I inquired of the old woman, "Aji, where are you going?"

She replied, "I am going to the Dispensary."

"To the Dispensary?" I say, "It is closed at this time of the day. You come back tomorrow early morning."

"I know," she replies. "I am old, I cannot do things in a hurry, and coming from Vambori (4 miles from the Dispensary) in the morning is difficult. I could never make it in time. So I have to start a day before."

I ask her, "Will you sleep at the village temple (half a mile from her position)," knowing they keep wayfarers there for the night.

"No" she says, "Even that is too far. I will have to sleep somewhere close by at a farm, if they will keep me, or spend the night under a tree. I have brought my bhakri (millet bread). Tomorrow early morning I will be ahead in the queue for the case paper."

I am left speechless. At the fork we part ways.

The sun is setting. At a distance I am compelled to look back one more time at the frail, fading silhouette, limping resolutely on the path towards the Dispensary.

from Mehera: December 2008

2009-03-27T22:08:00.014-04:00

On a rickshaw ride down the dirt road, I saw families making their way on foot to the dispensary. Grandmothers. Grandchildren. Fathers. Daughters. Sons.

I was on an assignment to take photographs of the patients and was relieved to see how eager and curious they were to face the camera and smile.

They made my job very easy.

At the dispensary, the waiting room was full, and patients overflowed into the garden courtyard. Several were eating lunch on the grass outside.

After chatting with patients in my meager Marathi, and taking several photos, I hopped into the rickshaw to make my way back.

Suddenly, a woman dressed in a sky blue sari came running after me yelling something I could not understand. As she approached I realized she was asking for a ride back to the bus stop at the end of the long Meherazad road. She was in her mid 60's, and very appreciative that I had stopped. She said her walk to the bus stop took her 45 minutes to an hour. She was diabetic and spoke glowingly of the clinic.

As the rickshaw rattled along the road we happened upon a much older woman also making her way back from the dispensary. She refused our offer of a ride worrying that the bumpy rickshaw would make her too dizzy. We left her sitting in the grass.

I was struck by how important the dispensary is to so many villagers. They come from great distances to receive special care that not only heals their bodies but touches their hearts.

— Mehera Dadachangi Busfield

OB/GYN Joins Meher Free Dispensary

2007-08-07T00:00:00.003-04:00

The Meher Free Dispensary board happily announced that Dr. Rupali Zaware, a physician certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, has joined the Dispensary staff as of August 7, 2007. She will fill a much needed role in the care of women from the surrounding area. Board representative Framroze J. Mistry stated, "Our long search for a female doctor, these past 10 years, has finally fructified beyond our expectations." As Dr. Zaware establishes her practice, we will add information to our website.

Laboratory

2007-04-29T00:00:00.004-04:00

There have been significant changes in the Laboratory. The new Coulter CBC counter is installed and working. Usage is increasing with improvement in MFD's ability to monitor anemia, especially in the female population.

Ms. Monica Frei from Switzerland came as a volunteer to work for three months in the Lab. She assumed supervisory duties and participated in the additional training of the newer Lab Technicians. She also helped to develop and implement procedures and protocols for the continued operation of the lab.

Among other needs, additional funding would allow testing of epilepsy drug levels and regular HgbA1C levels for diabetics. MFD and its patients would immediately benefit from this change. Determining short and long-term lab costs for these tests is currently being undertaken by the present Lab supervisor (Abhijeet).

New Facility

2006-11-02T00:00:00.005-05:00

After several years of planning and construction, a beautiful new Dispensary building opened on November 1, 2006. This larger facility was designed to meet the present healthcare needs of the local population and allow for the continued meaningful expansion of services in the future. Closure of the older Meherazad Free Dispensary property took place on its final working day: 23rd September 2006. Every patient on the final day was given a small gift as they received their prescription.

The most difficult problem encountered in opening the new facility was the persistent record rainfall which caused extremely muddy roads with areas of flooding. Fortunately the tractor and trailer were able to negotiate the 3 kilometers between the older building and the new dispensary reasonably well. The roads were virtually remade and even a small bridge in one area was built over a persistent flood stream to allow the visitors on opening day a safe journey.

Opening day was attended by approximately 100 guests and workers. Refreshments were served and the shiny new building was dedicated to the continued service of the poor and underserved.

The Dispensary is currently adding about 300 new patient files per month. This increase in new patients has already used up the original stocks of new files and printed case papers which has required additional purchases of new ones.