Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2010) - Today, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) issued the following statement commending U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott for his speech in the Congressional Record highlighting a medical mission to India led by one of HAF’s cofounders. Congressman McDermott’s remarks centered on a recent tour to the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat where a team of pediatric urologists and anesthesiologists performed several highly complex reconstructive surgeries while mentoring India based surgeons in what has become an annual workshop.
“As the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and having visited India more than 20 times, no one could be considered a stronger supporter of India and our community in the House of Representatives than Congressman Jim McDermott,” said Nikhil Joshi, Esq., co-founder of HAF and member of the Board of Directors. “Dr. Aseem Shukla, one of our cofounders, and Dr. Richard Grady, brought together a world class team of physicians from the United States and India to better the lives of young adults in Gujarat. We are pleased that Congressman McDermott, himself a doctor, recognized in Congress the successful surgeries this team performed. We are also grateful for the International Volunteers in Urology, whose generous support made the trip possible.
“We look forward to continuing our work with Congressman McDermott on issues important to the Indian American community such as faith-based matters, health care and strengthening U.S.-India relations and thank him sincerely for his many years of service and support.”
Commending Dr. Shukla and Dr. Grady for their work in India
Honorable Jim McDermott
of Washington
In the House of Representatives
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the critical medical work that was recently performed in Gujarat, India by Dr. Aseem Shukla and Dr. Richard Grady. Dr. Shukla is a pediatric urologist, Director of Pediatric Urology at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital and is the co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF). Dr. Grady is a pediatric urologist and a world-renowned expert in pediatric bladder reconstruction at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Joining Dr. Shukla and Dr. Grady in India, were Dr. Anjana Kundu, a Pediatric Anesthesiologist from Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Kenneth Smith, a Chief Resident in Urology at the University of Minnesota. I am especially proud of the fact that both Dr. Grady and Dr. Kundu are my constituents and that the Seattle Children’s Hospital is in my district.
Dr. Shukla and Dr. Grady assembled their team of physicians and medical staff in the city of Ahmedabad and conducted 20 major reconstructive surgeries on children over an eight-day period, with each surgery lasting over twelve hours in duration. These children had serious urinary tract and genital abnormalities, which are the third most common congenital abnormality in the developing world. These abnormalities leave these children and young adults shunned and at the risk of further severe medical conditions. By performing these surgeries, these physicians have not only saved lives, they have transformed them.
While Dr. Shukla has been traveling to India twice a year for several years, with a commitment to build the much needed specialty of pediatric urology there with the support of the Hindu American Foundation, this latest medical mission could not have happened without the generous support of International Volunteers in Urology, a non-profit, education and membership organization founded in 1995 by Dr. Catherine R. deVries. IVUmed’s primary mission is to make quality urological care available to people around the world. The organization does so by organizing workshops where both physicians and nurses are trained and teams perform clinical evaluations, lectures, patient consultations and dozens of hands-on surgeries within a one to two-week period. In this way, IVUmed has provided treatment to thousands of men, women and children in nearly 30 countries in the areas of women’s health, urology and tropical diseases.
IVUmed is unique because it is the only global nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching urology in developing countries. Their motto is “Teach One – Reach Many.” Many physicians in developing nations do not have the resources to travel and acquire the necessary training to improve their skills. By training local medical professionals who then train residents and other doctors, IVUmed transforms urologic care for entire regions in the developing world on a permanent basis.
The organization has over 6,000 volunteers and supporters around the world. In addition to treating thousands of patients, providing medical and surgical education to hundreds of physicians and nurses, IVUmed has also donated over half a million dollars worth of supplies and equipment to doctors around the world.
I would also like to recognize the numerous Indian physicians who contributed to the success of this medical mission: Dr. Balagopal Nair and Dr. Mohan Abraham with the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center; Dr. P.K. Dave, Dr. Rakesh Joshi and Dr. Sudhir Chandna of the B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad; Dr. Mahesh Desai with the Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital; and Dr. D.K. Gupta and Minu Bajpai with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Hindu philosophy teaches that Seva, or Service, if carried out selflessly, is the highest devotion. The compassion shown by this team of American and Indian physicians exemplifies this spirit. Their dedication in bettering the lives of so many children should serve as an inspiration to us all. As a physician and the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I would like to commend the joint efforts of the talented physicians and individuals who made this medical mission such a success.
No comments:
Post a Comment