Mister Chheda says that this year doctors treated the patientsfor more than twenty diseases and medical problems. Doctorsperformed more than seven-hundred operations during the camp. Almosttwo-hundred patients with the most serious problems were sent tohospitals in the city of Bombay, also known as Mumbai
Many patients at the medical camp were suffering from physical ormental problems caused by a severe earthquake that shook the area inJanuary, Two-Thousand-One. This year, the hospital started a centerfor people who were seriously injured in the earthquake. Forexample, the center provides man-made legs for people whose legswere destroyed. The government of Gujarat is providing money andtraining for this center.
The Bidada medical camp began twenty-eight years ago. At first,doctors treated only patients with eye diseases. Then the organizersexpanded the camp to help people with other diseases. Organizers saythe medical camp has treated more than two-million people since itbegan.
People in India, the United States and other countries providethe money to operate the medical camp. More than fifty doctors fromthe United States were part of the program this year. The doctorsand other people provide their services without being paid.
Many doctors who serve in the camp were born in Kutch and now areliving in the United States. Some of them have been returning tovolunteer at the camp each year for many years. The doctors from theUnited States also teach local Indian doctors the most modernmedical techniques.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written byShelley Gollust. This is Bill White.