On watching the Foreign Correspondent last night I was rather moved. The disparity of the medical system in India is absolutely the pits. Many poor and life threateningly ill patients go unnoticed and eventually die due to lack of care and timely advise or medication — not just because its unaffordable! Never do the newspapers write these harrowing tales. Talk of dirt, poverty and pain doesn’t fetch the dollars or even rupees for that matter. They much rather leave it to the voluntary social workers to deal with these issues. Luckily, Ram the father of this suffering little kid Inderjit wasn’t one who sat back and resigned to fate or destiny. He went about diligently, doing all he could in his capacity to restore his childs health even though his wife left him unable to cope with Inderjit’s medical complications. It was one long uphill trudge for Ram running pillar to post to restore his little baby’s life to normalcy.
Inderjit, barely six years old suffered from a rare disease called cognitive bowel problem. He was born with this disorder and it worsened progressively. By the age of six he’s had 6 elaborate operations to no avail. ABC’s Foreign correspondent did a wonderful thing but interviewing Ram — Inderjit’s father. Since the story went to air on Foreign Correspondent in November 2005 the matter got a lot of attention and media. A trust fund was set up by the Australian Medical Association in Queensland who received a total exceeding AU$33,000.
The generous donations helped the then frail Inderjit to gain enough strength with more effective food and proteins so he could go for his 7th and final surgery which was successful. An Australian GP working in New Delhi was able to use her contacts to expedite further treatment.
Thanks to ABC’s Foreign Correspondent for airing this story and to the Australian Medical Association in Queensland and for the generous funds and the much needed push and all you caring souls whose wonderous donations and wishes fought for this little child life and helped his suffering family.
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Amazing. Hopefully more stories like this will reach caring ears. But what of the Indian government??? Where are they in all this?? Well, with all the problems in India I still find it facasinating and the people warm and caring. The thing is THEY really appreciate anything that is done. Jain India!!!!!!
Thats awsome. I just wish our news channels and newspapers learn somethign from it. they need to find the balance of publicizing news which benefit their pocket and also publicizing news which help the society in some bits..
Any small bit of help goes long way. I am deeply grateful for anyone who donated any single $ to that fund. I wish we have more such stories.
I saw this episode as well and was very inspired by it. It was a wonderful story and so heart-warming to see the little boy playing and kicking the soccer ball around at the end. I was so impressed with his father’s persistence also. It’s a good question of Nan’s to ask about the Indian Government. Foreign donations are all very well but it’s important for internal systems to be built also.
It was inspiring though that so many people here wanted to help – sometimes it’s easy to forget that people are for the most part generous and giving.