ENT Camp December 2013

When a charity struggles to fulfill one of its primary objectives, things can become very disheartening indeed. Haven's commitment has always been to provide essential care to those who need it most. We have been most fortunate to secure the voluntary services from medical experts and, as a consequence, we have hosted numerous medical camps over the years. Our initial research showed four main areas of healthcare concerns: paediatrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics and cardiology; and we continue to successfully meet these needs year after year with expertise offered by the specialists in these specific fields. However, experience from many of the medical camps held has brought to light a worryingly high number of patients who arrive with severe ear, nose and throat, (ENT), ailments. Up till now, Haven has been unable to provide this specialist care so desperately needed by the large numbers of villagers throughout the local area.

So, you can imagine our delight, when, on the 4th of December 2013, we were finally able to fulfill our aim. With his smiling countenance and generosity of spirit, Professor Chowdhury, of the prestigious London Hospital, arrived at the Haven Centre in Atla, West Bengal. He was greeted by patients who's faces were filled with gratitude. Here, at last, was someone who could help them, and indeed he did! With only one day to run this very first ENT camp, Professor Chowdhury was under severe time pressure. He worked tirelessly and, even with the constraints of time, he showed great care to all of the patients. His undoubted expertise and knowledge brought tremendous relief to over 80 local villagers who, blighted with distressing ailments and with no access to affordable healthcare, benefited greatly from his visit. The twelve referrals Professor Chowdhury insisted upon have all been successfully treated with the aid of Haven's contingency fund which is always kept aside for this specific purpose. The twelve patients are now back home, enjoying their new found lease of good health. Haven would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to Professor Chowdhury. We are indebted to him for allowing us to fulfill one of our main objectives and we hope to welcome him back to our centre for this much needed ENT specialist care which has helped so many people.