US Doctors Offer Free Surgeries

In a first, a team from California based Aloha Medical Mission will be camping in the country to provide free services to as many as 600 patients from across the rural heartland of Charotar region of Central Gujarat. A fortnight-long camp has been organized which will commence on January 6 where patients will undergo free surgeries, thanks to the efforts of US return Dr. Paresh Patel. Patel is a general surgeon who returned to India after spending 35 years of his life in the US. He then set up a hospital in Borsad in Anand district where he along with his wife oncologist Chandralekha Patel provide a free consultation to the needy. When Patel came to know that the Aloha Medical Mission wanted to conduct a camp in India, he insisted that their services will be needed in the rural belt of Gujarat and made arrangements for them. Patel, president of the Chovis Gam Sacchidanand Medical and Research Center which runs Shraddha Hospital said,"In all a team of seven surgeons, three dentists, five anesthesiologists, one plastic surgeon and one ENT surgeon will be camping at Borsad from January 6 to January 19 to operate the patients." Diagnostic camps were conducted to identify the patients in need of treatment. The team from the US will perform gastrointestinal surgery, treat congenital deformities and also provide free mechanical prosthesis to patients who have amputation of hands.