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In 2014, the E Club of the United Services obtained a District Grant to enable an Afghani medical student to complete his residency at The Mission Hospital in Durgapur, West Bengal, India. Dr. Baha worked under the supervision of Dr. Satyajit Bose, Chairman and
Senior Cardiac Surgeon at the hospital. At the conclusion of his studies, Dr. Baha returned to Afghanistan.
District 3240 (where the hospital is located) has obtained a Global Grant to fund pediatric cardiac surgeries at the hospital. When a child is born with a hole in their heart, it must be repaired within the first few years of life. Otherwise, as the child grows, its heart grows and hole grows larger. Eventually, the child dies.
As a result of the relationship we established, Dr. Bose has given us the opportunity for free surgery for a handful of children from Afghanistan/Pakistan - provided Rotary clubs pay for the transportation, housing, and food for the children and their guardians.
The first candidate for this program is a 1.5 year old child who became an orphan as a result of a drone strike in Afghanistan. We are working with the Government of Afghanistan to see if they will pay transportation costs for the guardian. If we are unsuccessful, grant funds will be used for transportation, housing and food for child & guardian for approximately 15 days in Durgapur, India
It is our hope that ridding children of this debilitating disease will make them productive citizens of their community. It will improve a child's environment by reducing the income drain on their parents. The surgery will also enable a child to attend school and get an education and that is the only sure path to a better life. Thus, this grant could also be considered addressing the focus area of basic education and literacy.
Finally, it is our intention that these children come from Afghanistan/Pakistan. Recent events have strained relations all three of our countries. Providing care for children will go very far in Rotary's objective of promoting peace and resolving conflict.
The tight time frame of August 1, 2015 makes it difficult to know with certainty the ultimate costs. It is possible that clubs who were originally involved in supporting Dr. Baha may wish to participate in this phase of his mission. As a result, we ask the committee to grant us some latitude to permit other clubs join this grant without changing the amount of the grant.
Addendum to Project Description (added after the project was signed)
If La Jolla Golden Triangle is unable to participate, the E club will replace the LJGT contribution and use its cash and DDF.
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