A Day With the Village People

Yesterday was our last full day of work in Hyderabad. We decided to visit the peripheral city of Mahabubnagar because Dr. Krishnamohan had a cardiologist contact at a hospital in the town.

We left Hyderabad around 10:30 and set off on our 100 kilometer journey to Mahabubnagar. Knowing that we were going to a peripheral city, we were all expecting a treacherous journey similar to our drive to Baharampu. We were all pleasantly suprsised to find a smooth drive, with nicely paved roads, very little traffic, and only an hour and a half drive. In fact, the ride was so smooth, that all three of us were able to fall asleep on the drive, even when crammed into the back of a tiny car.

SVS Medical College Hospital

We arrived to SVS Medical College in Mahabubnagar around 12:00pm and were immediately brought to the Cath lab. While we sat in the Cathlab area waiting for Dr. Sanjeeva Kumar, a cardiologist and one of the founders of the cardiology department at the hospital, we could not help but admire the facilities in this hospital. Everything was extremely well kept, the entire hospital looked clean, and this was in a place where the majority of the population was under the poverty line. SVS is a private hospital, however, because of the Aarogyasri insurance scheme, patients below the poverty line are able to get free medical care at private facilities such as SVS. 

Paitent shoes outside of the Cardiology department

Anyways, while we were waiting for Dr. Kumar to finish with his patients and a procedure, Shruthi decided to go into the Cath Lab with him and watch. The Cath Lab was very similar to Hopkins: extremely nice equipment, very clean, and the doctor started and finished the angiograph in under ten minutes. 

Authentic South Indian lunch we enjoyed with Dr. Kumar at the hospitals cafeteria

When we finally had the chance to talk with Dr. Kumar and Dr. Narayana, another consulting cardiologist at the hospital, we were able to learn alot about the volume of patients they see here, the struggles they face with pacing procedures, their protocols for both temporary and permanent pacing, and the issues and complications they face as a peripheral hospital. 

Deserted hallway at the government hospital

After leaving SVS, we headed 3 kilometers down the road to a District Government hospital. Much to our surprise, this government hospital seemed deserted and was a complete opposite from what we had seen down the road. When we walked inside, there was no security gaurds, or even patients sitting around, something very uncommon here in India, so we took it upon ourselves to walk around and find someone to talk to. We noticed from the signs on the wall that this hospital did not appear to have a full cardiology department, but that there may have been a cardiologist who generally worked there. 

District Hospital of Mahabubnahar

We finally found ourselves on the second floor of the hospital outside of the Hospital Superindendents office. We knocked, introduced ourselves, and she kindly allowed us to come in and talk. Although she was not as familiar with the cardiac department and cardiology capabilities of the hospital, she did her best to explain to us the problems that there hospital faced and what facilities and things they did have access to. After our talk, we said our goodbyes which Shruthi somehow managed to turn into a 30 minute conversation after realizing that the superindenant was also Tamil and had three daughters our age, one of whom looked like Shruthi and was also named Shruthi.

Shilparamam market in Hyderabad

 After a long day, we got in the car to head back to Hyderabad. Erin and Shruthi, who wanted to get some more shopping in, decided to head out to Shilparamam market for an hour or so before it closed. This was a suprisingly large market with lots of colorful clothes, scarves, and hand-made art work. Erin and Shruthi both ended up buying some things and then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep before there last monrning in Hyderabad.