My Experiences as a Global Impact Fellow in India
By Tony Su
Yale University Student
Summer 2010 (May 10-June 30) Global Impact Fellow
In summer 2009, I pursued a 7-week Unite For Sight Global Impact Internship in Chennai, India. The experience has profoundly changed my life. Through the experience, I confirmed my desire to pursue medicine, and I have since engaged in many public service and global health research studies.
While in Chennai, I received generous support from the eye clinic's doctors and staff to conduct my research project, “Prevalence of Visual Impairment and Blindness, and Survey of Barriers to Eye Care in Chennai, India.” Working with Bing Wang, a fellow Global Impact Fellow alum from University of Toronto, we compiled over 2,500 patients’ ocular diagnosis data and interviewed over 400 patients about their experience of eye care delivery. This project, involving massive amounts of data collection and coordination, could not have been completed without the strong support from Unite For Sight and Uma Eye Clinic. The project was later presented as a poster at Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and as an oral presentation at Unite For Sight Global Health & Innovation Conference and at the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS). The research experience exposed me to the serious but often overlooked barriers in the existing system of health care delivery. Even with adequate resources, patients may not be able to receive timely health care because of barriers in delivering and receiving care. Following my Chennai project, I continued to pursue research studies in domestic settings. Currently, I am working on a study to determine barriers to follow-up care for children who fail a vision screening in a pediatric health care setting in New Haven, Connecticut.
Volunteering in the impoverished communities in Chennai has also inspired me to pursue public health. Every day in Chennai was full of work. Starting from 8am every day, we went to poor communities to screen residents for eye diseases, while the eye clinic's doctors and staff saw an average of 200 patients at one outreach event. After the outreach, we transported the patients to the clinic, where they received pre-operation checkups and scheduled surgeries if needed. The eye clinic's doctors provided surgeries and follow-up care for all patients at an amazing quality and pace. A lot of patients lived on only about 10 rupees (about 20 American cents) a day and could never afford a surgery (cost about $100 USD). Having received the care sponsored by Unite For Sight, these patients were able to see their family for the first time in many years, and they were able to return to work. Witnessing the tremendous work of Unite For Sight and its partner doctors, as well as the genuine happiness of patients, I could not help but aspire to help make the world better within my capacity. I recorded many memorable moments of my trip and interviewed many patients and doctors to produce a documentary film of Unite For Sight at Chennai. After my trip to Chennai, I actively worked with and later led multiple service projects, including the Unite For Sight Chapter at Yale, where students train school teachers and community center staff to connect their students and clients with free health coverage programs so that they can receive a complete eye exam by an eye doctor, and we also fundraise to provide eye care to patients living in extreme poverty in Ghana, Honduras, and India. The dedication, diligence and resourcefulness of Unite For Sight and its partner doctors and staff will always be in my fond thoughts and guide my life-long endeavors in medicine and public service.
In Chennai, I was exposed to a totally different way of life and viewing the world. The people there were extremely appreciative of our work and showed overwhelming hospitality towards the Global Impact Fellows. The local residents had a uniquely strong sense of community, building smooth and cohesive relationships with neighbors, and they were always willing to help when needed. I was particularly touched by a genuine act of kindness from a local auto-rickshaw (local equivalent of taxi) driver. After I left behind my backpack with my wallet and camcorder (with which I shot the documentary film) in his auto-rickshaw, the driver waited for me for over half an hour to return and pick up my belongings. Despite their lack of financial resources, the genuine integrity, openness, and kindness of the local people have made an enduring impression on me. I have since learned to much better appreciate the amazing resources I have here at home and aspire to take advantage of these resources in order to better serve the underprivileged.