A RURAL-URBAN AMALGAMATION – My Dental Retreat

 

They say—–“The soul of India lives in its villages.”

However, after three decades of being a so called “city girl”, the above statement finally came to life for me, with my recent visit to a village called Kundrodi. Kundrodi is a small village nestled in the Mundra taluka in Kutch, Gujarat approx 40km from Gandhidham and 60km from Bhuj. It has a total population of a mere 986 as per the 2011 census and the locally spoken language is “Kutchi”. Just like most of you reading this, this name was nonexistent to me till about a month back (I still find it difficult to pronounce and cannot decipher a single syllable of Kutchi!) but when an opportunity presented itself for me to get a glimpse into rural India, I decided to make the most of it.

A three day free dental camp was being organized by the Shree Bidada Sarvodaya Trust in the month of September. Being associated with them as a Consultant Dental Surgeon for over a year, I decided to join the team of 10 enthusiastic doctors volunteering for this noble cause.

As the travel began my eyes soaked in the beauty of the passing countryside, but as numerous stories and laughter were shared over several cups of chai by the team members (I call them friends now), I was surprised on how the long mundane journey from Mumbai to Gandhidham turned into a refreshingly interesting experience.

Choked by the smoke and dust surrounding our concrete cities, the endless honking and the never ending rush for more time, more money, more jobs and especially more space; do we ever stop and take time to introspect? What are we really running after? At the end of the day, deep down most of us harbour a common desire- to be “Far from the Madding Crowd” just for some quiet and inner peace. So though the individual in me needed some soul searching, the adventurer in me was curious to explore the small niches of my country, while the doctor within was searching for a ‘purpose’- to make use of my skills for those who needed it the most, the larger or rather the more humbler part of my nation who have access to none of the facilities which we city dwellers take for granted routinely. This trip was a blend of it all.

As we stepped into the Sanatorium (accommodation and venue for the camp) early in the morning, we were greeted with fresh country air, a pleasant petrichor, the summoning calls of peacocks, chirping of birds and the rustling of trees. Warm smiles acknowledged our arrival.  The event began with the auspicious visit to the local village temple, a small prayer and the blessings of the lord. The programme which was spread over three days turned out to be a full-fledged well organized treatment camp. Word had been spread beforehand to 8 neighbouring villages about this free camp and vehicles arranged to help people reach us. After the initial glitch and the usual chaos and confusion associated with any new project, the entire team of doctors, volunteers, technicians and organisers settled in and the patients started pouring in. Work started and the treatment comprised of a plethora of dental procedures (Root canals, oral prophylaxis, Restorative work, Extractions, Surgeries etc) which stretched till late evening. And as the day ended one saw exhausted but happy faces.

DAY 1: Doctors hard at work!

Evenings were spent walking through the narrow village streets lined on either side by houses hidden behind colourful wooden doors. The twisty  paths that we were treading on were lit up by the occasional passerby in cycles and two wheelers. We found ourselves surrounded by an unfamiliar audience of cows, buffalos and the village dogs as we listened to the ancient stories about the village Dargah sitting under the luscious Neem tree.  It felt as if nature and humans were finally in sync. The far off sound of tribal music reverberated through our ears, as we sat across a lake looking at the sky transforming into a multitude of colours from light blue to an orange hue. And as the gentle night sky slowly set in, the village too became still and serene.

Myriad of colors…Village Homes

Mingling with the happy Villagers 🙂

Day 2 started with a bang as hundreds of little children in their colourful school dresses flocked into our camp. It was a memorable day. Unlike overprotected and over pampered city kids, these kids were overjoyed with this field trip (day of fun) they were taking and were eager for “brighter” and “shining” teeth. Their playful eyes looked at us with fascination and the day flew by. Day 3, the last day was another long and tiring day, as we attempted to provide treatment for all the remaining patients who had been waiting in long queues. But by now we were working like a well oiled machine. The camp came to an end– The total number of treated patients had been 481! 481 adults and children with neither the means nor the access to basic dental treatment were attended by us. This part…this little part of my life is called “Satisfaction!”

DAY 2: Pediatric Dental Care

Exploring Kundrodi Village

 

“Athithi Devo Bhava” (The Guest is Equivalent to GOD) is a sacrosanct Hindu verse and its true meaning is found in the hearts of the villagers. Though lacking in material wealth, they leave no stone unturned in compensating it with the love, respect and blessings they shower upon us. A belly full of delicious Gujarati food, neat and clean accommodation, sweet gratifying words and the    ever smiling eyes: is this reason enough to keep coming back and sparing a few hours in a year for someone else. I think so…After all “Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have- Jim Rohn”

For me this is just a beginning to a long and fruitful journey……I hope……..

DAY 3: The whole “Jingbang”