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Voice

Voice is produced with theintention of inspiring, ignitingand initiating thought, prayer and

action. Your views and responses

are crucial to this process.

Please e-mail your responses,

rejoinders and reflections to

voice.emfi@gmail.com

The author of each article is

responsible for the point of view

expressed, which may or may not

represent the official position of

the EMFI

The Editor

Dr. Anna Mathew, Kolenchery

The Editorial Board

Mr. Andi Eicher, Thane

Dr. James Zachariah, Vishakapatanam

Dr. Chering Tenzing , Basildon, UK

Dr. Santosh Varughese, Canada

Acknowledgement for Printing

Mr. Timothy Velavan, Vellore

Address

The Editor, Voice, EMFI, 4th Floor,

Rainbow Vikas, 9, Varadarajulu Street,

Egmore, Chennai 600 008 T. N. India.

No Contents Page

1 Editorial 1

2 EMFI Biennial Conference 2

3 The Call to Pioneer with Him 4

4 The Carpenter 12

5 Helping Medical Students 13

6 The Voice of 2013 17

7 Wisdom of the Ages 23

8 The Thanksgiving 23

9 Indian Medical Mission 24

10 A Wonderful Way to Explain it 27

11 WHO Doctor-people Ratio 28

12 Crossword - Christmas Foretold 29

13 Worlds Apart 30

14 The Masters Tapestry 32

15 A Ray of Hope for Bali 33

16 St. Andrews Church Ministry 35

17 The Simple Christmas Blessings 36

18 The Upward way for 2013 Cover

The voice of one calling in the wilderness;Prepare the way of the Lord; Makestraight in the desert a

highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3.

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Editorial

Kolenchery,

December 2012

Dear friends,

We are once again in the Advent season, a time of expectant preparation andwaiting for the celebration of the nativity of our Lord. The word advent comesfrom the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming"and Advent Sunday marks the begin-

ning of the liturgical year. Advent was also a solemn time of repentance and returning

to God, as people fasted to prepare for the coming Saviour. The season offers the

opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be

alert for His Second Coming. In Romans 8:25, we see that hope is a union of desire and

expectation. Hebrews 6:18-19asks us to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have

as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.

A candle is lit every Sunday in many churches during the four weeks leading to Christ-

mas and some families make this their own Advent tradition. They light a candle every

evening during family prayer in the Advent Season, followed by Scripture readings,

songs and prayer. During the first week, one candle is lit each day. During the second

week, two candles are lit, and so on. Each of the four Advent candles represents a week

leading to Christmas and the final candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

The first is called the "Candle of Hope." It symbolizes faith in God keeping his

promises to humanity. The second is called the "Candle of Preparation," reminding

Christians to "get ready" to receive God. The third candle is the "Candle of Joy." It

recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ, Glory to God in the

highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased (Luke 2:14). The fourth

candle, the "Candle of Love," reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send

His only Son to Earth. The "Christmas Candle," the white candle in the center, standsfor our Lord, Jesus Christ Himself. Some believe the candles stand for Hope, Love,

Joy and Peace. In all traditions, the symbolism encourages us to turn to God with hope,

in a world where the outlook often seems bleak. The candle on the cover depicts the

inner glow this God-ward turning brings, that fuels the outer flame and

radiance in our lives.

We on the editorial team of Voice, wish you a meaningful Advent Season

and Christmas and a fulfilling and blessed New Year.

Anna

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EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012Andi Eicher

The EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012, brought together 500 plus medicalstudents, graduates and their spouses and children for a time of fellowship andinspiration at the EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012 near Mahaballipuram, TN.

Situated at the sea, the beautiful Joe Beach Resort was an inspired choice. The rains

lashing the coast ceased just before the conference and built up just after to a

hurricane. Thankfully, the amazing days of October 25th to 28th 2012 saw both bright

sunshine outside and lots of Son-shine in the hearts of those who attended.A powerful thread of praise wound through all the days of the conference led by the

Worship team from CMC Vellore. Our days were framed with powerful teaching in the

mornings by LT Jeyachandran who helped us see Gods Big Picture through His

revealed Word and the evening devotional talks by Dr. Arul Anketell who opened up

Gods heart for us in wonder at His love poured into our lives.

In-between, the days were packed with break-out seminars for graduates and students

covering diverse topics such as science & healing, parenting, sexuality, medical

missions in other countries, avoiding burn-out all with excellent resource people and

lively discussions.

The first days plenary session took our breath away as we heard about palliative care,

work with HIV in South Africa, reaching children, and church-based care for the urban

poor. The second day saw deeply moving testimonies of graduates who are investing

themselves in raising a new generation of medical students to follow God in all areas.

In the midst of all of this many other things took place. Old friendships were brushed up

and new ones made. Tea and lunch breaks were filled with people talking, laughing,

praying. All the EMFI staff were present including the new recruits and as they

served and organised things we saw the body of Christ at work. Dr. Vinod Shah gave

the Dr. Ngakhliana oration speaking on personhood.

The conference was a time of refreshment. Families had precious times together children played happily together and young people had exciting inputs through the

Beyond Barriers team and even got to see the Crocodile Bank! The final night had

everyone praising God around a beautiful bonfire under the starry sky.

On Sunday morning we all shared in communion together and then broke up to go back

to the many places we came from. Dr. Naveen Thomas, the chairperson of the EMFI,

shared that he did not want to leave the place, echoing the feeling of many hearts,

while at the same time acknowledging that there is still work to be done before our Lord

returns, walking with God, serving His purpose!

2 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012

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3 EMFI Biennial National Conference 2012Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

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4 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The Call to Pioneer with Him

God took risks in creating boththe angelic hosts and humanbeings. Yet He loved us so much

that, for Him, it was worth the

great risk involved.

The pioneering spirit originated inGod. He is the real Pioneer. Hepioneered in creating the world and

humankind when He could have

been content with Heaven.

Pioneering in Sharing Gods Love

God took risks in creating both theangelic hosts and human beings. He

loved so much that, for Him, it was

worth the great risk involved. When

man failed to receive the love He

offered in one form, God pioneered in

another way.

The devil is continually inventing

ways to undermine all that God is

doing. So, while we pioneer there will

be forces that subvert Gods love by

turning the altruistic zeal to selfish

motives for personal gain or ad-

vancement. This will lead to personal

enslavement and then to collective

decline. Self-seeking is not the way

to promote the wellbeing and abun-

dant life that we are meant to enjoy

and pass onto those around us.

History is replete with examples of

those who pioneered and stayed

faithful to the end and also those who

The Call to Pioneer with HimGeorge Varghese

began well and then got involved in

personal motives.

Jesus pioneered in reclaiming those

who had strayed away and were lost,

cleansing those who were stained

with sin and setting free those in

bondage. His pioneering work startedin Heaven when He gave up His

privileges and rights and was incar-

nated in human form. He was born

into a lowly carpenters home and

lived a simple life with few comforts

and much hard work. He was looked

down upon, misunderstood, laughed

at, ridiculed and labelled. He

experienced rejection, loneliness and

pain as a result. He stayed faithful tothe end and gave His life to pay the

price of the sin of mankind. At His

death the veil of the temple was rent

and peace was made between God

and man through His blood.

Indeed, what a pioneer!

Through incarnation Jesus entered

the human state and now lives and

feels what we feel. He watched the

way society and religion functionedand how it shut God out.

Jesus pioneered in reclaimingthose who had strayed away,

cleansing those who were stained

with sin and setting free those in

bondage.

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5 The Call to Pioneer with HimVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

He saw the many who were deeply

entrenched in religion yet trapped

and hardened by it and they op-

pressed, harassed and controlled

the common people.

Yet Jesus saw the yearning in many

to seek truth and have a revelation ofGod. People who longed for a touch

from God. Jesus pioneered in reveal-

ing God to man, giving Him a face.

He lived a life so radical in loving,

that he could unashamedly say, He

who sees me sees God.

Jesus: The God-revealing Pioneer

Jesus was born into an ordinary

home. He called ordinary men to

follow him. They were all weak, poor,fearful common people. He taught

that God is on the side of man and no

power on earth or hell can separate

man from His love.

Jesus pioneered in death, defeating

sin and hell and was resurrected from

the dead on the third day. He pio-

neered in absolute trust in God and

obedience to Him even unto death,

displaying that the urge to sin could

be overcome.

Yes, Jesus, above all pioneered in

showing that this world is not the

ultimate reality, but there is a life

beyond the grave and that we have

the hope of eternal life through His

resurrection. When He ascended into

heaven he left the great commission

to all who believed in His name to go

out into the world and make disciples

(Matthew 28:19-20) and to pioneer in the

spreading of Gods kingdom, taking

His Name to all Judea, Samaria and

to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) .

His Followers: Called to Pioneer

As a follower of this matchless

Pioneer of faith, love and hope, I am

called, as you are called, to thisadventure of life-giving pioneering! It

means incarnation to a new situation

with a definite sense of being sent.

Nothing has changed in 2000 years

either with God or with humankind.

The message to man is still the same

and the remedy for his sickness is

the same. It is a call to live out faith,

hope and love in the way Jesus did.

Jesus pioneered in revealing Godto man - giving Him a face. He

lived a life so radical in loving, that

he could say unashamedly, He who

sees me sees God.

As a follower of this matchless Pioneer of faith, love and hope, you andI are called, to this adventure of life-giving pioneering!

Jesus said to His disciples be-fore He was taken up into

Heaven before their very eyes

...and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the ends of the

earth.Acts 1:8-9 .

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6 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The Call to Pioneer with Him

All those who truly follow Jesus will

face similar experiences, but there

will be great joy deep within.

We have a responsibility first to be

aware and then to enter prayerfullyand sensitively into our neighbours

story with empathy and compassion.

The pioneering spirit is to express

this compassion creatively in practi-

cal terms using the Jesus way. It is a

calling to enter into the desperate

situations that people face and stand

by them, seeking change, yet remain

uncontaminated by the moral deca-

dence that may be there.There is a place and time to solve

problems and meet needs but more

importantly and more often, we are

called to provide the support and

ambience where the person can

solve his/her own problems and meet

his/her own needs. This is possible

only if the pioneer is in constant

touch with the Master and is being

personally renewed by His love andinner transformation.

The Call: Pioneers in Medical Mission

In this adventure there are risks and

no guarantees. The whole picture is

not given. Pioneering calls for trust inGod who is also the heavenly Father.

Even though we work sincerely in

good faith and undertake useful

ventures, our good work may be

hindered by Satan and his evil forces

who are also active to know our

progress may be deterred by internal

and external problems. and so this is

when we must take heart and perse-

vere in the good work we do trustingin God to see us through. Paul

exhorts us not to be weary in well

doing (II Thessalonians 3:13)

The Medical Mission in India had

many pioneers. We can learn from

them. We need to read history. Now

many such missions have lost their

visionaries and only the structures

and systems are left behind. The

ritual of routine medical care iscarried out but it is not fuelled by the

inner vision and motivation that

characterised the pioneers. The work

is often entirely predictable and

geared to bring in returns of some

kind rather than service to the poor

and needy. There is nothing exciting

that pulls at the heart strings and

inspires and challenges us. In this

process, mission hospitals have alsoacquired negative rituals that further

deter growth and innovation. The

leaders need to look afresh at the

Whatever may be the call,the pioneering spirit willinvariably be gentle, caring and

compassionate.

We have a responsibility first to be aware and then to enter prayer-fully and sensitively into our neighbours story with empathy andcompassion.

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7 The Call to Pioneer with HimVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

protocols and structures that exist

and courageously dismantle thatwhich is irrelevant and not contextual.

Where is God in Mission? Can these

dead bones live? These are disturb-

ing questions. God is able to raise up

new people who will take up the new

challenges if the old mission has lost

its vision and purpose. Just like the

religious system in Jesus time kept

people from experiencing the trans-

forming presence of God, a rigid and

archaic mission system can be a

deterrent to the pioneering spirit.

When God comes in He makes

things new. So the old pattern of

functioning needs to be set aside to

create space for the new. The new

pioneers need the support and

wisdom of the old stalwarts and yet

they need to be given the space to

discover their potential. It is important

to know and learn from the history of

the mission and to respect the ways

things were done in the past. How-

ever we must have the courage and

freedom to take the steps that are

relevant to the present setting and

contextual to the new situation.

Every new thing will become old in a

matter of time. Someone else will

come and do something different or

find a new way to do the same thing

and life goes on as usual. However if

the steps to be relevant are not taken

in time we will lose creative people

and will not be able to inspire others

and so the process of building the

Kingdom of God will be retarded.

The Pioneer: Seeks to Know Jesus

A personal encounter with the risen

Lord and a growing relationship withHim is what qualifies a person to be a

pioneer. Having Jesus Christ as role

model the pioneer seeks to know

Him. As the relationship deepens he/

she will see the world more and more

through Gods eyes and feel the

needs of people in the way God

would feel. In the process he/she is

being changed from within to become

an instrument in Gods hands. Thereis grace given to believe in the power

of Gods Word, to speak words that

heal and bless, to move in the ways

that He directs and to receive both

the encouragement and the correc-

tion that the Spirit of God gives.

In the light of Gods presence the

pioneer is formed into His likeness

(II Corinthians 3:18). There is a growing

awareness of strengths and weak-nesses and of the various tempta-

tions that lie along the way. There is

also a desire to choose Gods way

which enable him/her to prioritise and

When God comes in He makes things new. So the old pattern offunctioning needs to be set aside to create space for the new.

Pioneering calls for trust ina God who is also theHeavenly Father.

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8 Voice 10:4 Dec. 2012.The Call to Pioneer with Him

choose that which is edifying and to

take careful precautions to avoid

enticement into undesirable prac-

tices. Having experienced the love of

God there is freedom to return when

there is failure or loss knowing that

God is able to bring out somethinggood out of every situation if only we

turn to Him. He is able to turn the

seemingly untoward events for the

ultimate good of His children. Thus

the pioneer is aware that he/she is in

a field not merely for the work he/she

does but primarily for his/her own

personal transformation and growth.

This is of prime importance as if this

is not achieved the whole mission

becomes unfruitful.

The Mission: Incarnation in a Broken

World

The mission of the pioneer cannot be

different from that of the Master. It is

incarnation in a broken world by

being an agent of reconciliation,

redemption and renewal.

The pioneer needs to be equipped

with sufficient knowledge, attitude

and skill to provide competent health

care to his patients. These are not to

be used for self-aggrandisement or

empire-building but as a tool to

facilitate the healing process.

The doctors attitude skill and knowl-

edge need to be upgraded regularly

to keep abreast of rapidly changing

medical information and experience

in order to be able to provide

evidence informed health care to the

patients.The Field: The Scope is Unlimited

There are numerous areas which a

pioneer can make his/her field. The

scope is unlimited and varies from

person to person. The need in a

particular field may look difficult to an

observer but when there is a call and

a pioneer takes up the challenge, it

can become a very fulfilling and

rewarding experience whatever thefield, be it slum work, palliative care,

rehabilitation, care of the aged or

care of the disabled. The other areas

of service may be working in an old

mission hospital, either as a special-

ist or as a general practitioner, or it

may be in private practice, in a poly-

clinic or a socio-economic develop-

ment project or freelancing or running

a home for dropouts or drug users orthose afflicted with HIV. Any area,

chosen in response to a call, can

become a mission field and offer

opportunities for meaningful service.

Apersonal encounter with the risen Lord and a growing relationship

with Him is what qualifies a person to be a pioneer.

The mission of the pioneer . is incarnation in a broken world by beingan agent of reconciliation and redemption and renewal.

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The great Pioneer, Himself,did not regard equalitywith God a thing to be grasped

but emptied himself taking the

form of a bond-servant.Philippians 2:6-7.

9 The Call to Pioneer with HimVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

Whichever the field of work, it calls

for faithful commitment and willing-ness to be part of a team. A lot of the

job-hopping we see now a days

seems to be arising from a lack of

these two. The great Pioneer,

Himself, did not regard equality with

God a thing to be grasped but

emptied himself taking the form of a

bond-servant (Philippians 2:6-7). What-

ever the calling there is need for

team work. It is life-giving to value thegifts of others and work together as

co-workers and partners in Gods

field. The pioneer needs to become a

people person and identify with the

suffering community at a personal

level instead of only remaining a

mission compound person.

The Team: Relationships are Crucial

Here wisdom and discernment are

required to know who can fit into a

particular role, which team members

will work well together and who can

be involved and trained to share in

the vision of the hospital.

The team needs to have people with

diverse gifts, knowledge and skills so

that they can complement one

another on the job. The leaders

should be able to feel the pulse of the

people around and wisely and

sensitively provide counsel and make

just and fair decisions. Genuine

openness, accountability and integrity

before God and with each other will

ensure that that policy decisions aremade in keeping with the Kingdom

values. The power of money needs to

be dethroned and the unrighteous

mammon should be used for further-

ing concerns having eternal value.

Looking to God for unmet needs and

holding on to His promises ought to

be the lifestyle of the team. Unwise

decisions and their consequences

can usually be avoided through wisecounsel and if mistakes are made

inadvertently they must be reversed

and the issues faced honestly and

squarely.

The Support: Pioneers need Mentors

It is important to develop a group who

will pray and provide spiritual nurture

to the pioneer and his team. Some

may need financial backing till the

work is established. Others needemotional support. Good communica-

tion with people around and with

those who send the pioneer needs to

be a day-to-day reality. There is a

need for some mentors who will pray,

encourage and hold up a mirror for

the pioneer to see the real situation.

The lifestyle of the believer is an

The pioneer needs tobecome a people personand identify with the suffering

community at a personal level...

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10 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The Call to Pioneer with Him

open book that reflects what he/she

believes. The mentor will help the

pioneer to see that covetousness and

greed, reflect lack of trust and must

be set aside and abandoned. Hidden

agendas and motives in financial

matters only undermine all the goodwork we do.

The Family: A Shared Vision

The consequences of life as a

pioneer will need to be shared by the

family. A shared vision and on going

dialogue with ones own family will

lead to choosing a lifestyle that

reflects Kingdom joy and peace at

home. If this becomes a priority and a

way of life, it is a sign of unity andwellbeing. Quality time given to the

family is time invested wisely. When

the parents share a passion for the

living God and seek to follow His

plans for their lives, the children will

pick it up if they know they are deeply

loved and cared for. Standing

together as a family in Gods given

field is a great source of strength and

a sign of unity and well-being.

When the choice of the mission field

is before us, it is Gods grace alone

that can enable us to set aside

creature comforts, ease of living and

material luxuries in response to His

call and the only reward is His voice

in our hearts saying, Well done,

good and faithful servant. We can

then rest assured that the family will

be adequately provided for and thatHe will keep that which we have

committed to His care.

The Real Situation: Gain and Loss

We have not been promised an easy

passage only His presence with us

through it all. There is no guarantee

that it will be smooth sailing all the

way in pioneering. The enemy is

constantly there pulling down what

we build up, nourish and cherish.There will be loss, harm, sabotage,

unexpected events and turmoil. Yet

the deep conviction of the call and

the encounter with truth can be the

anchoring realities at these times.

There are many great moments of joy

for the pioneer. The gratitude,

appreciation and respect received

from simple people is a very gratify-

ing experience. Though there may be

many who pray, encourage and

support, the pioneer learns to depend

It is life-giving to value the gifts of others and all work together asco-workers and partners in Gods field.

There are many great moments of joy for the pioneer. The gratitude,appreciation and respect received from simple people is a verygratifying experience.

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11 The Call to Pioneer with HimVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

Dr. George Varghese has been working at the Lady Willingdon

Hospital in Manali and pioneering in Lahol and Spiti along with his wife

Dr. Sheila. Their older daughter Krupa is married to Donald John and

works with special children in London and their younger daughter Deepa

and her husband Sandeep, teach in a school in Bangalore.

on God. Finding that every need is

met and experiencing answered

prayer uplifts the spirit and gives the

strength to go on. Even professional

satisfaction takes a new shade.

However, physical and emotional

tiredness can drain our energy.

Spiritual darkness can lead to dis-

couragement. Interpersonal difficul-

ties can take away all the vigour and

zeal even to face another day with

hope. One has to believe that all

these will pass as the days go by.

Periodic breaks are essential to getaway and to find rest and rejuvena-

tion. Regular times of personal and

family retreat in Gods presence,

beholding Jesus, is our resource for

healing and renewal. These may be

times of transition when we are lead

to a change of pace, a new rhythm, a

variation in lifestyle. When we move

with God, He bring us to these trans-

formations at the right time.Every burnt out or distressed person

in the mission field reminds us that

there are others who are not

responding to Gods call. The load

becomes heavier for the pioneer

when there are few workers in some

needy areas of mission work. Moving

away from the call because of failure,

or disappointment or lack of re-

sources is a sad option for one who

has heard the call.

Health personnel are setting their

hearts on a comfortable life, assured

progress on the ladder of academic

success and a good bank balance.

They often do not even consider

that the gift of medicine is a call to

service. May God give the pioneering

spirit abundantly to all those who are

brave enough to get out of the

current systems and respond to the

call to the mission field. Here the

harvest is plenty, the need is

immense and the labourers are few.

As Paul exhorted Timothy let us

.fight the good fight holding on to

faith and a good conscience

(I Timothy !:19). Let us run with perse-

verance the race that is set before us

(Hebrews 12:1) and become a channel

of blessing in the mission field.

It is indeed an adventure of faith with

God. We are called to walk in the pathhe sets before us, beholding Jesus, the

Pioneer of our faith, hope and love!

Standing together as afamily in Gods field is a

great source of strength and a

sign of unity and well being.

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12 Voice 10:4. Dec 2012.The Carpenter

The Carpenter

creek between us. He may have

done this to spite me, but I will do

better thanf him. See that pile of lum-

ber by the barn? I want you to build

me a fence, an eight foot fence, so I

dont have to see his place or his

face anymore.

The carpenter said, "I think I under-

stand the situation. Show me the

nails and the posthole digger and Ill

be able to do a job that pleases you.

The older brother had to go to town,

so he helped the carpenter get the

materials ready and then he was off

for the day. The carpenter worked

hard all that day, measuring, sawing

and nailing. About sunset when the

farmer returned, the carpenter had

just finished his job.

The farmers eyes opened wide, his

jaw dropped. There was no fence

there at all. The carpenter had built a

bridge A bridge that stretched from

one side of the creek to the other! A

fine piece of work, handrails and all!

And the neighbour, his younger

brother, was coming toward them, his

hands outstretched, saying, You are

quite a fellow to build this bridge

after all Ive said and done.

The two brothers stood at each end

of the bridge, and ran towards each

other and met in the middle, taking

each others hand. They turned to

see the carpenter hoist his toolbox

onto his shoulder and walk away.

Once upon a time, two brotherswho lived on adjoining farms fellinto conflict. It was the first serious rift

in forty years of farming side by side,

sharing machinery and trading labour

and goods as needed without a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart.

It began with a small misunderstand-

ing and it grew into a major difference

and finally, it exploded into an

exchange of bitter words followed by

weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on

Johns door. He opened it to find a

man with a carpenters toolbox. "I m

looking for a few days work," he said.

"Perhaps you would have a few small

jobs here and there I could help with?

Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do

have a job for you. Look across the

creek at that farm. Thats my

neighbour. In fact, its my younger

brother! Last week there was a

meadow between us. He recently

took his bulldozer to the river

embankment and now there is a

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14 Voice 10:4. Dec 2012.Extending a Helping Hand to Medical Students 13 Extending a Helping Hand to Medical StudentsVoice 10:4. Dec 2012.

Extending a Helping Hand to Medical StudentsPhilip Finny

*Name changed to preserve confidentiality

Many of them were discouraged

about their studies and felt sorry that

they had to study in a setting that

was not conducive to learning good

medicine.

Over the next few months, doctors

from the Duncan Hospital in Raxaul

continued to visit this college on a

monthly basis, engaging with the

students there. This gave us the

opportunity to continue listening to

them, sharing our testimonies and

teaching Gods word to these medical

students. As we got to know them on

a more personal level, we realised

that many of them were disturbed

that they were in a no-win situation

regarding learning clinical medicine.

They were sad that they had been

selected to a medical college that

had such poor standards of medical

education.

Whenever we visited them, they

requested that we also take medical

Whenever we visited them,they requested that we alsotake medical sessions to enhance and

supplement what they were learning

through their classes.

We were staying the weekend atthe mens hostel of a medicalcollege in January 2009. A group of

medical students were sharing with

us the challenges they faced as

young people from the North East

living in this situation. One of the first

years was called Akum*;he was from

a remote village in Nagaland, border-

ing Myanmar, in the North Eastern

part of India. A timid and soft spoken

young man, hed said very little dur-

ing the interactive Bible study we had

earlier in the hostel.

Following this study, the students had

stayed behind to talk and opened

their hearts to share about the

discrimination they faced based on

caste and race in the college. The

prejudices extended even to teachers

who sometimes took lectures in

Hindi, making it very difficult for those

students who were from other parts

of India and less fluent in Hindi, to

participate.

Not only did they feel they had been

cold shouldered by the teachers and

some of their fellow students but they

felt nobody was interested in teach-

ing them and so their academic

performance had been affected.

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Gradually the number ofstudents coming for theclinics started increasing and ina short while medical students

from other colleges in the state

also started coming during any

vacation they could take a

break.

As the time was limited, the students

were invited to come over to Duncan

hospital whenever they had holidays.

Akum was one of the few who started

coming regularly, using the Chatt

puja, Diwali and Holi and other

breaks to visit Raxaul. He brought

with him his friends and we taught

them during the ward-rounds and in

the evenings. Without the compul-

sions of a formal medical college,

such as syllabus, schedules and

examinations, there were no stresses

or pressures and the students found

studying clinical medicine a wonder-

ful learning experience. The students

shadowed us, learnt on the rounds

and in the outpatient department and

participated in the hospitals weekly

teaching sessions for the medical

team.

Gradually the number of students

coming for the clinics started increas-

ing and in a short while, medical

students from other colleges in the

state also started visiting us during

Some of the students who came to Raxaul

sessions to enhance and supplement

what they were learning in their

classes. Clearly this was a felt need

for them. This led us to take with us

clinical photos and Power point

presentations as teaching aides

whenever we visited. Interestingly,

colleagues also picked up the baton.

Once when my family physician

colleague had visited them to take a

Bible study on a weekend, he discov-

ered they were anxious about the

practical medical exam on the next

day. He took the students to the ward

after the worship on a Sunday

morning and showed them many

clinical findings on real patients to

build their confidence to take the

clinical exam the next day.

We realised that many of us doctors

at Raxaul had been blessed with

excellent medical education. Seeing

the need of these students gave us a

desire to use our skills to help these

students to pick up clinical skills and

good practices in medicine.

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15 Extending a Helping Hand to Medical StudentsVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

Students taking part in the retreat held in

October 2012

any vacation they could take a break.

One of the most significant things

that came out of the time together

was the friendship that was built up

between us and these budding young

professionals.

The students expressed their sincere

appreciation and told us how much

they benefited from these times.

They were also spiritually uplifted by

getting involved in the variousspiritual activities on campus.

Once a year for the past four years

we have held a camp for medical

students of the surrounding states,

with medical workshops in the

mornings and times for spiritual input

and reflection in the evenings. This

blended model of a camp arose out

of the dire need of the medical

students. Many of them experienced

spiritual renewal and a change of

direction and some also committed

their lives to Christ

Through all of this we have seen the

divine hand of God, weaving a fine

tapestry using various strands of

thread to enhance the lives of His

children. For example, in the recent

Chatt Puja vacation Akums visit to uscoincided with the visit of Dr. Alex

Duncan (a family doctor from the

UK), who was taking a series of

psychiatry lectures for primary care. It

was as if God was even bringing

people from far away lands to add

colour and texture to the tapestry of

Akums medical training.

This fearful and timid young man now

was slowly becoming more confident,

even joining in the role plays during

the lectures. On the day he left hesaid to me, Im so happy, Ive learnt

so much in these last three days.

The joy on his face as he left us was

priceless. He had now become part

of the Duncan Family.

Akum is still far from his home and he

still faces the prejudices of staff and

students in his college and hostel.

However there is a difference now.He has found a place where he is

accepted and valued. He knows that

he is supported by a group of people

in Raxaul who are his friends and

who will stand beside him.

The joy on his face as heleft us was priceless. Hehad now become part of the

Duncan Family.

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Dr. Philip Finny is working at the Duncan Hospital, Raxaul, Bihar, along

with his wife Leejia. They have two children, Vinay (11 years) and

Rohan (6 years).

As we build a relationshipwith these young people,

they will learn and in the

process be formed and find

their way into Gods good

purpose for their lives.

We would never have known Akum if

we had not pro-actively visited hismedical college and stayed with the

students that weekend. Over the past

four years as we have watched him

grow spiritually and gain clinical

confidence and competence we are

grateful that he has benefited from

this experience in so many ways.

Akum will be appearing for his final

exams this December. It seems very

likely that he will join us at Raxaulafter his internship. In this case we

have accompanied Akum and this

up-building has enabled him to

choose to work in a mission hospital.

There are several other students

whom we have supported in similar

ways on their journey to becoming a

doctor. Whether they choose to work

in a mission hospital or not, we real-

ise that our short visits have meant

much to them and their lives have

been touched in various ways, both

in their spiritual formation and in the

development of their knowledge,

attitude and skill in the practice of

medicine.

There are so many medical students

like Akum in our medical colleges.

Students who feel isolated, neglected

and lonely. Students who feel they

are unable to cope with the demands

of a medical education. Students who

feel they do not receive adequate

help and guidance from their teach-

ers. There are also many who have

not yet perceived their medical pro-

fession as a calling from God. As we

build relationships with these young

people, they will learn and in the

process be formed and find their way

into Gods good purpose for their

lives.

Our prayer is that the story of Akum

will inspire graduate medical faculty

to seek out young people like Akum

in the medical colleges around us. As

Jesus said (John 4:34), ...open your

eyes and look at the fields. They are

ripe for harvest. Indeed, there are so

many similar opportunities to

accompany students available for

graduates in our fraternity. All we

need to do is to reach out and offer

friendship to these young people .

16 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.Extending a Helping Hand to Medical Students

Jesus said open your eyesand look at the fields. Theyare ripe for harvest. (John 4:34),

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The Voice of 2013Arpit Mathew

The Voice of 2013

As I look at 2013, I pray that we will hear a clear voice..A voice that brings ..The Message of Truth

The Message of Reconciliation

The Message of Compassion

As we come to the end of 2012, itis becoming clear that ourcountry is in dire need of a revelation.

Throughout the past year we have

meandered from one crisis to another

with very little to bring cheer on any

front. Our leaders, whether political orsocial, seem sadly disconnected from

the ground realities and even when

confronted with them do not appear

to be capable of facing the issues

and providing solutions to the prob-

lems we face.

So as I look at 2013, I pray that we

will hear a clear voice from someone

out there, who will remind us of what

our humanity is all about.A voice that will speak comfort and

solace to a people who are in

despair. A people in anguish

because they see no hope.

A voice that we can trust after many

others have promised much initially,

only to prove as fickle and unreliable

as those who have gone before.

A voice that will call us back from the

path of destruction to mutual growth,

development and fulfillment.

A voice that will renew our faith in the

higher ideals that are preached about

with great gusto but are hardly ever

followed in real life.A voice that will renew us, re-unite us

and reassure us. May this be the

year it is heard.

So what will this voice speak of?

There are many messages our world

desperately needs to hear. Here are

three of them - the message of truth,

the message of reconciliation and the

message of compassion.

A. The Message of Truth

We tell lies every day. Small ones,

big ones, white ones, black ones.

And we have lies told to us every

day. We have learned that the safest

way to get by is to lie. And so we

have become a community of liars. A

community which has sometimes

17 The Voice of 2013Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

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Though there will besome struggles alongthe way, in the long run,

satya meva jayate truth

will prevail.

even forgotten what the truth actually

is. In this climate, corruption is the

obvious result.

We no longer count as corruption the

Rs.200/- that the ticket checker takes

to give us a seat.or the Rs.100/-

that we pay a policeman who catches

us in a minor infraction..or the

note we pass under the table to pay

the government official to get our file

moving. This seems to be the way of

life and the accepted norm to get a

job done. It is counted as corruption

only when hundreds and thousands

of crores of rupees are involved in

the process. and then a huge fuss

is made over the corrupt officials.

How different are they from us?

We are all in the same boat. After all,

what difference dose the amount

make? It is the crime that counts!

And the few tireless warriors who

fight this evil are left stranded. Their

number is dwindling daily as more

and more of us just get tired of fight-

ing what we perceive to be a losing

battle.

If only someone would remind us of

the power of truth! If only someone

would be so transparent in their own

life that we could actually believe

they speak the truth. If only we could

find someone to convince us that

though there will be some struggles

along the way, in the long run, satya

meva jayatetruth will prevail.

The power of truth is not to be used

to accuse others. It is rather the best

way to achieve positive action. The

moment we are comfortable with

untruths and corruption, not only do

we deny the truth within us, we are

also giving up our right to corporate

progress and universal gain.

The world has shown that truth is not

essential to individual achievement.

In fact many of the financial, political

and even religious achievers of

today seem to believe that truth can

be sacrificed on the altar of success.

As for me, I am convinced that if

there is a decision to forego truth,whatever success is achieved is

actually limited. The story of one man

in a loincloth who brought an empire

to its knees should be enough to

prove to us that his experiments with

truth need to be taken seriously,

studied and replicated for our

generation. We, who take the Name

of the One who is the way, the truth

and the life (John 14:6) are called to

The power of truth isnot to be used to ac-cuse others. It is rather the

best way to achieve positive

action.

18 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The Voice of 2013

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As His mission on earth was drawing to a close, Jesus prayed forthe unity of His disciples in His high priestly prayer. Holy Fatherprotect them by the power of your name .that they may be one as

we are one. John 17:11.

We need to hear someone tell us that

it is only in reconciling our differences

that we can come together and make

progress. That the end result of

conflict is always destruction. That

even though we live in a world where

the one who shouts the loudest

seems to get what he or she wants,

there is a better way. And we do not

need to look far to find examples.

When South Africa emerged from

many decades of oppressive andviolent apartheid rule, the world was

sure that the transition would be

bloody and retribution against the

white community for their past

actions would be swift and brutal.

Instead the world watched in

amazement as Nelson Mandela and

Desmond Tutu steered their people

in another way. The Truth and

Reconciliation Commission that theyset up saved South Africa from

repaying the crimes of apartheid in

kind. Rather the spirit of reconciliation

brought healing and integration and

put South Africa on the road to

progress showcased by the hugely

successful hosting of the rugby and

soccer World Cups.

Our country needs this voice of

reconciliation. The schisms in our

society are many. And they grow

20 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The Voice of 2013

deeper by the year. We may attempt

to cover up the cracks with a veneer

of normalcy. But the divisions are

there and often we are defined by our

differences rather than united by the

common concerns that bind us.

When I visited Gujarat shortly after

the terrible riots, the recurring

question I was asked frightened me

every time I heard it. Are you a

Hindu or a Muslim? As long as we

characterise our society and lives by

that which separates us, we will

never be able to celebrate our vari-

ous strengths and move forward to-

gether. I pray that 2013 will resound

with the voice of reconciliation as we

join together to rebuild our land.

C. Compassion

Our nation has not understood the

meaning of this word. Although our

constitution enshrines social, gender

and religious equality, our day-to-daylives make a mockery of this concept.

We need to hear some-one tell us that it isonly in reconciling our differ-

ences that we can come

together and make progress.

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We, Indians are among the most religious people in the world,and yet we are also amongst the most selfish. How else can weexplain the huge gap that divides the haves from the have-nots?

21 The Voice of 2013Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

We, Indians are traditionally among

the most religious people in the

world, and yet we are also amongst

the most selfish. How else can we

explain the huge gap that divides the

haves from the have-nots?

Of course, the effects of capitalism

and the booming middle class have

masked the visibly stark poverty of

the sixties and the seventies. It is still

there only hidden from view. Our

slums have been razed, our beggars

chased away and our backward

districts happily forgotten in the

relentless chase for wealth. But they

have gone nowhere. We just dont

see them anymore.

Naxalism, which has arisen as a

response to this marginalisation, is

just a reminder to us that though we

may not see it, the poor still suffer

and it is our callousness that causes

them to react. It is not only the poor

who are deliberately left out of our

collective consciousness but also the

disabled, commercial sex workers,

the thousands of abused women, the

HIV-infected, the aged, the millions of

sick people who cannot afford the

prohibitive costs of health care.

The list of those we choose to forgetis endless. They exist in the margins

of society getting by as best as they

can, or failing to. while we spend

our lives buying more property,

investing in more mutual funds, going

on more holidays, building 40-storied

palaces and acquiring luxury yachts.

It is a shame that we need Warren

Buffet and Bill Gates to lecture our

rich on the joys of giving. It is an even

bigger shame that even their pleas

fell on deaf ears.

In this world of violence where

humanity is no longer respected,

where human beings are treated as

objects, where crime has become so

rampant that it takes brutality of the

highest order to wake us up, our

country needs to hear the tender

voice of compassion. A voice that will

remind us that it is more blessed to

give than to receive (Acts 20:35) and

tells us to allow the realities and

needs of others to affect the way we

live and work. For if I am mindful of

these, not only will I bring positive

change into lives and society but my

needs will also be provided for. Jesus

said, Give and it will be given to you.

A good measure, pressed down,

shaken together and running over,

will be poured into your lap. For with

the measure you use it will be

measured to you. (Luke 6:38).

Jesus said, Give and it willbe given to you. (Luke 6:38).

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I pray that this voice of compassion will ring out loud and clear in2013 . A voice that will bring love and giving to the verycentre of our consciousness.

22 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The Voice of 2013

Dr. Arpit Mathew is a surgeon working in the Department of Surgery at

Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, where his wife, Amy is doing post-

graduate training in the department of Anaesthesia.

A voice that calls us to respect,

protect and celebrate the humanity of

others and so resurrect the goodness

that God has placed in each of us,

when He made us in His image.

A voice like Mother Teresa, whosesmall frame and larger-than-life pres-

ence has probably been one of the

greatest influences for the good this

world has seen in the last 50 years.

I pray that this voice of compassion

will ring out loud and clear in 2013. A

voice that will bring love and giving to

the very centre of our consciousness.

This country and indeed the world is

tired. We do not like what we have

made of that which has been given.

We are tired of the violence, the

discord, the corruption, the amorality.

We want to believe again. Believe

that we are actually all connected.

That, God enabling, we can positively

influence the course of history by our

actions. That each of us, under God,

can make a significant difference forgood. That the whole purpose of our

life on earth is not just to make our-

selves comfortable and prosperous

but to fulfil the call of God in our lives

in the service of others.

We desperately need to hear the

voice of someone we can believe in.

A voice calling us to truth, reconcilia-

tion and compassion. And I hope and

pray that voice will be heard in 2013.

It may be from an individual, it maybe from a community, it may be from

a political party, it may be from the

church, it may be from the press

(though I very much doubt that!!). But

wherever it comes from, I am sure

that people will flock to it.

It is clear that we are unwilling to live

on with the status quo. The

spontaneous protests in Delhi are

testament to that. Anyone who is

willing to enunciate the truth for us

will be our leader. Anna Hazare and

Arvind Kejriwal are doing their bit.

Maybe it is time for you and me to

speak up. Maybe we can be a voice

in our own situation and context to

the people we live and move with.

A voice of truth.

A voice of reconciliation.

A voice of compassion.

Even if the voice is heard only by a

few. Let us be that voice.

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The Foundations of Mayo

More than a century ago, Dr. William W. Mayo, with his two sons Dr. WilliamJ. Mayo and Dr. Charles H. Mayo created what has now become the famedMayo Clinic. Their far-sighted wisdom made the Mayo Clinic possible.

The tradition and heritage they began had foundational truths we can learn from.

Here is a quote from a graduation speech delivered by Dr. William W. Mayo, a

hundred years ago, in 1910 which aptly defined the philosophy of the Mayo Clinic.I would admonish you above all other considerations, to be honest. I mean

honesty in every conception of the word. Let it enter into all the

details of your work, in the treatment of your patients and

in your association with your fellow practitioners.

The Thanksgiving - A Time of Humble Supplication

After enduring religious persecution in their native England and for twelve yearsin Holland, the pilgrims sailed for America. They were modest men and womenwith a great hope and inner zeal. They rested in the hope that God was leading them

to a land of religious freedom. The voyage of the Mayflower took twice as long as

Christopher Columbus' voyage, enduring several wintry storms. After arriving in

their new land, they faced disease, famine, bitter cold and many dangers. However,

when the Mayflower made its return voyage, none of the pilgrims returned with it.

They had their first harvest in the autumn of 1621. Their own seed had barely

grown, but the Indians had shown them how to plant corn which yielded a huge har-

vest. On the first Thanksgiving, they celebrated God's goodness to them with a

party of ninety Indians. Their Thanksgiving feast lasted three days and included a

festival of sports. Later Abraham Lincoln made the Thanksgiving Proclamation.

"Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, dohereby set apart the last Thursday in November as a day to be observed by all

my fellow-citizens, wherever they may be then, as a day of thanksgiving and

praise to the Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.

And I ask my fellow-citizens, that they do reverently humble themselves and

offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the great Disposer

of events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and har-

mony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling-place

for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations."

Wisdom of the Ages

23 Wisdom of the AgesVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

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Indian Medical Mission - Myth or RealityVijay Kanth

24 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.Indian Medical Mission - Myth or Reality

The Great Commission is for each person who has experienced thesalvation of the Lord.

Then Jesus came to them andsaid, "Therefore go and makedisciples of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father and

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and

teaching them to obey everything I

have commanded you. And surely Iam with you always, to the very end

of the age. (Matthew 28: 19-20 (NIV)

These verses are well known to most

Christians. In fact these words are so

familiar that they are often set aside

as if they are meant for someone

else. They are referred to as the

Great Commission that the Lord

Jesus Christ gave to His disciples

just before His ascension to heaven.I have often struggled with the

classification of missionaries into full

time, part time and as some of my

evangelical friends add overtime

and wondered to whom these words

were addressed. As I have consid-

ered this issue, in the short span of

twelve years of my walk with the

Lord, I realize that in His sight there

is no such classification and theGreat Commission is for each person

who has experienced the salvation of

the Lord.

In our country, the word mission,

brings a readymade picture to our

minds of a mission compound with a

lot of trees (may be not so many

these days), old dilapidated buildings,

a chapel, some vehicles (some old

and some new), an occasional

visitor from overseas (some old folk

living on the campus), a lot of poorpatients or maybe just poor people

and yes of course, all this in a remote

corner of the country. However, the

question that comes to our minds is,

Where are the missionaries?

During my student days, I was at a

mission hospital in Mysore, and one

of the doctors who worked there, and

taught us general medicine, made a

lasting impression on me about howto treat people. It was not necessarily

patients alone but he treated every

person in a kind, humane way. He

did not speak a word about Christ to

me, in fact we hardly talked person-

ally to each other, yet he left such an

unforgettable impression on me in

the way he treated people, that when

I completed my graduation, I wanted

to emulate him and treat people inthe way he treated them. His

personal faith was obvious to all in

his behaviour.

I still am not clear what made that

particular doctor so different, all I

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25 Indian Medical Mission - Myth or RealityVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

The Great Commission isfulfilled only as werelate to people around us. The

grace to make disciples comes

from God.

Their lives reflected thejoy of the Lord, challeng-ing and compelling me to

become like one of them. As I

lived in their midst, I experi-

enced the love of God reaching

out to me ..

know is that God touched my life

through him. Someone has said,

Preach the Gospel, if necessary use

words. For me, this doctor had

preached the Gospel without uttering

a word. I wonder now, was this

doctor a fulltime, part time or over-

time missionary?

After my graduation, I landed in

another mission hospital, this time,

quite inexplicably, in Bihar. There I

experienced a sense of heaven on

earth working with the community

there and enjoying the presence of

God in their lives. Their lives reflected

the joy of the Lord, challenging and

compelling me to become like one of

them. As I lived in their midst, I

experienced the love of God reaching

out to me and it only took 40 days to

surrender my life to Christ and to His

call in my life. Does it matter whetherthey were fulltime, part time or over-

time missionaries?

If you take a look at the ordinary

people in this hospital, you will find

that they were only doing their jobs.

Most of them were not educated in

the shades and nuances of medical

mission taught in the evangelistic

conferences, and other meetings.

Their personal relationship with theLord Jesus Christ was so real, it was

simply reflected in their behaviour

and relationships with people around.

The Great Commission is fulfilled

only as we relate to people around

us. The grace to make disciples

comes from God. Thus, I would like

to define a missionary as one who

receives the Great Commission and

commits himself to the One who hasgiven it. He/she then does everything

in life out of love and obedience to

His call, irrespective of profession,

type of work, geographic location,

church background or any other hu-

man standard or measure.

There are some wonderful testimo-

nies that I have come across in the

last few years including those of the

Dr. Ida Scudder, founder of ChristianMedical College (CMC), Vellore,

Dr. Paul Brand, a pioneer in the treat-

ment of leprosy with reconstructive

surgery and our own Dr. Tharien from

Oddanchattram. Their lives show us

that one persons commitment to the

Lord Jesus and willingness to take up

the Great Commission can bring

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When there is so little help for the millions in the rural areas, wherethe mission hospital is the last resort for good medical care,should we not first consider this call and respond to this pressing need

before we make an easier choice?

26 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.Indian Medical Mission - Myth or Reality

transformation to the lives of people,

even after they are gone. When we

consider the impact of CMC, Vellore,

reconstructive surgery in Leprosy and

the Christian Fellowship Hospital,Oddanchatram, we see how God has

used these people to transform lives

and pass on the message of Christ.

They responded wholeheartedly to

the call and it made a difference.

In my view, at present there is a

serious problem with many mission

hospitals struggling to have enough

manpower to carry on the work. I

wonder where the problem is. Wehave a large number of Christian

doctors and paramedical workers

graduating from medical colleges

every year. In my estimate, at least a

hundred Christian doctors pass out

every year and yet we do not get

doctors to work at the mission

hospitals. Where are these doctors?

The usual reason given by young

graduates is that they would like tofirst pursue post-graduation and then

decide where they are going to work.

Trust me, after they finish, they are

untraceable and even their telephone

numbers are inaccessible. And then

some of them have become so highly

qualified that you dare not talk to

them about working in a small needy

hospital. Others argue that it is not

necessary that you do not have to be

in a mission hospital to serve God. Of

course that is true, but when there is

so little help for the millions in therural areas, where the mission

hospital is the last resort for people to

receive good medical care, should

we not first consider this call and

respond to the need before we make

an easier choice. Is it not true that a

Christian must be eager to help those

in need? (1 Peter 5:2).

What we really need is to be

pro-active in receiving the call fromthe Lord and asking Him where to go,

instead of leaving the choice of work-

ing in a mission hospital as the last

option. The attitude at present seems

to be, If you cannot get a job any-

where else, join a mission hospital.

We just have to browse the internet

to see the need in rural India. But we

are not even aware of the need be-

cause we are too busy browsing thenet for scholarships and sponsor-

ships to work overseas. Is it not

appropriate that we pay back service

to our own countrymen, after all that

has been invested in us?

There is another category of medical

professionals who are working in the

mission field to fulfill sponsorship

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28 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.WHOs Doctor-patient Ratio by 2012.

WHOs Doctor - people Ratio for India by 2028Contributed by Michael Sunder Singh

India will take at least 17 more years before it can reach the World Health Organization's(WHO) recommended norm of one doctor per 1,000 people. The Planning Commission's high-level expert group (HLEG) on universal health coverage (UHC), headed by Dr K Srinath Reddy,

has predicted the availability of one allopathic doctor per 1,000 people by 2028. It has suggested

setting up 187 medical colleges in 17 high focus states during the 12th and 13th five-year Plan to

achieve the target.

HLEG estimates that the number of allopathic doctors registered with the Medical Council of India

(MCI) has increased since 1974 to 6.12 lakhs in 2011 - a ratio of one doctor for 1,953 people or adensity of 0.5 doctors per 1,000 people. The nation has a density of one medical college per 38.41

lakhs. There are 315 medical colleges that are located in 188 of 642 districts.

There is only one medical college for a population of 115 lakhs in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (95 lakhs),

Madhya Pradesh (73 lakhs) and Rajasthan (68 lakhs). Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu each

have one medical college for a population of 15 lakhs, 16 lakhs and 19 lakhs, respectively.

The HLEG has proposed a phased addition of 187 colleges. It expects that by 2015 under phase

A, 59 new medical colleges will admit students in 15 states like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Guja-

rat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya,

Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. By 2017, 13 of these states will have

an additional 70 medical colleges, and by 2022, another 58 institutes will be built in two additional

phases (2017-2020 and 2020-2022). By 2022, India will have one medical college per 25 lakh

population in all states except Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The implementation ofHLEG's recommendations will enable the additional availability of 1.2 lakh doctors by 2017, and

another 1.9 lakh doctors between 2017 and 2022.

"With this rate of growth, it is expected that the HLEG target of one doctor per 1,000 will be

achieved by 2028," the report says. It recommends that along with establishment of new medical

colleges, the admission capacities of existing colleges in the public sector should also be in-

creased. Partnerships with the private sector should be encouraged, with conditional reservation

of 50% of seats for local candidates, fixed admission fees and government reimbursement of fees

for local candidates. The revised MBBS curriculum proposed by the Medical Council of India (MCI)

should be refined to put greater focus on preventive, promotive and rehabilitative healthcare.

Measures such as a compulsory posting of one year for all MBBS graduates immediately after

internship, with 10% extra marks weightage for one year of rural service and 20% extra marks for

two years of rural service in the post-graduate entrance examination should be included," thereport suggests.

The World Health Statistics Report (2011) says, the density of doctors in India is six for a

population of 10,000. India is ranked 52 among 57 countries facing human resource crunch in

healthcare. Between 2001 and 2005, India had a doctor: population ratio of 0.5 per 1,000 popula-

tion in comparison to 0.3 in Thailand, Sri lanka (0.4), China (1.6), the UK (5.4), the US (5.5) and

Cuba (5.9). The nation has the largest number of medical colleges in the world, with an annual

churning rate of over 30,000 doctors and 18,000 specialists. However, the average annual output

is 100 graduates per medical college in comparison to 110 in North America, Central Europe

(125), Western Europe (149) and Eastern Europe (220). China, which has 188 colleges, produces

1,75, 000 doctors annually, with an average of 930 graduates per institute.

Source. Kounteya Sinha, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-hopes-to-achieve-WHOs-doctor-people-ratio-by-2028articleshow/10133240.cms

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CLUES ACROSS2 At the first Christmas, they found every-

thing, just as they had been told (9).

5 The prophet says this will come up fromthe stump of Jesse and bear fruit (5).

9 The prophet says One will go forth fromBethlehem to be this in Israel (5)

10 This mark of royalty shall not depart fromJudah till the Messiah comes (7).

11 Because Jesus would be in Davids line-age, his would remain secure forever (6).

12 The genealogy of Jesus in Mathew be-gins with this ancestor of Joseph (7).

14 She weeps and will not be comfortedbecause her children are no more (6).

15 Isaiah says there will be no end to theincrease of his kingdom and ----- (5).

18 The name the virgin will give her son,which means 'God with us' (8).

19 The prophet Isaiah says the sign theLord Himself has given is this (5, 5)

CLUES DOWN1 This will be on the shoulders of the child born unto us

(10).

3 When she who is in labour has borne a child, He willarise and do this (8,3,5).

4 What Mary did in her heart when she heard all thethings the shepherds said? (9)

6 Micah tells us the place of Jesus birth means this(5,2,5)

7 Peter exhorts us to do this with prophecy for men spoke

from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (3,9).

8 A righteous -------- of David will spring forth andexecute justice and righteousness on earth (6).

10 The first prophesy promises that the coming Saviourwill crush whose head? (7).

13 Malachi prophesied that this person would come andclear the way (9).

16 Hosea says God called His Son out of this place (5).

17 God made a covenant promising to establish his lineforever through Jesus (5).

Contributed by Dr. Anna Mathew, Kolencherry. Answers on page 35.

1

2 3

4 5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12 13

14

15 16

17

18

19

29 Worlds ApartVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012. 29 Christmas Foretold by ProphetsVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012

Christmas Foretold by ProphetsCrossword 10:4

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Worlds ApartArun Gowtham

30 Voice 10:4. Sep 2012.Worlds Apart

In that world people havelearned to live with pain,poverty and deprivation. Poverty

is an accepted way of life.

and forty form the nearest bus

station. When I look back at my

experience there, it seems worlds

apart from my current situation,

reminiscent of the story by H.G.

Wells where he travelled back a

hundred years in time, in a time ma-chine (The Time Machine is a science fictionnovella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895).

Worlds so apart that it raises a

dilemma, which lingers on, which of

the two worlds is the real one?

The indolent roads to this village

were bothered by only three buses

traversing those paths daily. Power

was almost non-existent there, and

most of the activities in the hospitalseemed to take place in almost

perpetual darkness.

At Lamptaput, I usually woke early

with the crowing of the rooster in the

adjacent farm. I used to take part in

prayer walks with a horde of avian

friends who greeted me at the dawn

of each new day.

This would be followed by a time of

devotion and prayer that waspracticed with unwavering zeal. By

this time patients would be slowly

I am sitting in the centrally air-conditioned computer centre ofthe Dodd library in Christian medical

College (CMC) Vellore. I type these

lines on an Intel atom processor

connected through a high speed wi-fi.

This block is a ten storied buildingconnected through elevators and

pneumatic chute systems. I start the

day with a good morning SMS and a

refreshing shower thanks to the 24

hours water supply and uninterrupted

power that illuminates the long

corridors of the place we live. Then I

enter the mess, that serves extensive

menus for all three meals and indulge

in some gastronomic delights forbreakfast. Afterwards I go to the

library and settle down in front of a

mountain of books and immerse

myself in the intricacies of medicine

to face the forthcoming post graduate

entrance examination. Every little

while there is the option of taking a

break with hot chocolate served by

an automated machines and surfing

the mobile internet. These creature

comforts and hi-tech gadgets that

entice and pamper. How they charm!

Two months ago I was in an entirely

different world. I was working as a

junior doctor in a mission hospital in a

rural area in a village in Odisha called

Lamptaput. It is located thirty kms

away from the nearest railway station

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31 Worlds ApartVoice 10:4. Dec 2012.

Can we, as believers in a God,who asks us to give toeveryone who asks, do some-

thing about it?

trickling in, each with their own mind-

sets and ideologies, all expecting

some respite for their ailments.

In that world which I left behind,

Lamtaput, people have learned to live

with pain, poverty and deprivation.

Poverty is accepted as a way of life.

Death and disease are an integral

part of their lives. They do not

murmur or complain, they do not

grumble. It is as if they have cajoledthemselves into believing that this is

the way the world is, bringing a state

of acceptance of their lot with little

hope for anything better in store.

In other words hope is a lost word in

their lexicon. A 16 year old unwed girl

becomes pregnant and the next day

they take her to the forest and abort

her with native medicines and bring

her to the hospital in haemorrhagicshock. A seventy year old grand

father is brought with a chronic

wound which has been there for four

years. There is a repulsive odour and

the wound is squirming with maggots.

The old man does not seem overtly

much bothered by it. The mother of a

five year child with sickle cell

anaemia and a haemoglobin of 3

grams/dL would like to take her childhome to celebrate the festival, with-

out any sense of the urgency of the

medical needs of the child.

Maybe the most frequent words we

hear from patients day in and day out

is We have no money!. We

receive the same response whatever

we ask. Feed your child well her

blood count is low . We have no

money! Your child needs to be in

the hospital because she has

cerebral malaria and is in respiratory

distress . We have no money!

Why is your daughter not going to

school?... We have no money!

You are a diabetic, hypertensive with

sickle cell disease, off medicines for

6 months. You need admission and

treatment We have no money!

Sometimes this phrase is annoying

and at other times it pushes you into

a spiral of depression as to why there

is so much of poverty in this place?

Can I do anything about it? Can we,

as believers in a God who asks us to

give to everyone who asks, do some-

thing about it?

If there was anything that Christ

brought to this earth, it was hope.The hope is that through His grace

and sacrifice on the cross, our sin

has been forgiven and we will be with

Him in eternity. We are no more in

condemnation. We have access to

God. We have been reconciled with

Him. He has given us authority over

the earth to redeem it from the evil

one. He has asked us to go and

share the good news and free thecaptives from poverty, disease,

superstition, ignorance and sin.

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G ive to everyone who asksof you and whoever takesaway what is yours do not

demand it back. Luke 6:30.

Dr. Arun Gowtham studied Medicine in Andhra Medical College where he

also came to faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Arun shares this article from his

experience of working at the Asha Kiran Hospital, Lamptaput, Odisha.

32 Voice 10:4. Dec 2012.The Beautiful Tapestry of the Master Weaver

The Beautiful Tapestry of the Master Weaver

about God and His love. After all

the testimonies we have given andheard about what God has done for

us, we are afraid to take a step of

faith for Him when the time comes to

make a decision. And we suddenly

realise that all our health system is

becoming so corporate and anti-poor

and wonder why!

Many mission hospitals in our country

are closing down and we pray God

will raise people to revive them.Sometimes we are the answer to our

prayers and the need itself is the call.

Shall we not prayerfully consider if

God is asking some of us to go to

places like Lamptaput and other

places of genuine need?

The world we live in is already broken

on the lines of the haves and the

have-nots. Their worlds are different

and the gap is increasing every day.Yet no help reaches them until some-

one among us is willing to respond to

the call: Lord here I am, send me.

There are many places similar to

Lamptaput, where there are people in

dire need - medical need and spiritual

need. May be in the house next-door

or in the next street or far away - adire need for a touch from God. How

shall we take the message of hope to

a people in need? The mandate

given to us is to go the extra mile?

Who will go from one world to the

other? From the cosy, posh luxurious

world to the dirty, poor and diseased

one. If there is anyone on this earth,

who will travel to the other world it

would be one who has heard the call

and responded to it.

After all the teaching we have

received in our college fellowships

My life is but a weavingBetween my Lord and meI cannot choose the colours

He works so steadily.

Oft times He weaves in sorrow

And I, in foolish pride,

Forget that He sees the upper,

And I the underside.

Not till the loom is silentAnd the shuttles cease to fly;Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why.

The dark thread are as needful

In the Weaver's skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned

Corrie ten Boom

He knows,He loves,He cares;

Nothing this truth

can dim.

He gives the very

best to those,

Who leave the

choice to Him..

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33 A Ray of Hope for BaliVoice 10:4. Dec 2012.

A Ray of Hope for BaliSara Joy

stayed at home, believing her right

hand was beyond redemption. Our

visits urging her to come to the

hospital were of no avail.

A couple of months later, our staff

visited her and persuaded her to

come to our health post at Dasoputright away. She was indeed in a

pathetic state, with the smell of putre-

fying flesh emanating from her hand.

There were maggots wriggling in the

wound, and to aggravate the situa-

tion the disari, (traditional medicine

man) had advised that cow dung be

applied on the wound.

* Names changed to preserve confidentiality

The Koraput district of Odisha islocated on the Eastern Ghatsand set amidst the scenic beauty of

rolling hills and plains. It is pictur-

esque and home to a variety of flora

and fauna. Lamptaput block is no

exception. Kadamguda is a small

village located across the reservoir inthe Gram Panchayat of Kumargond-

hana. It is located next to Dasoput

where we have a small health out-

post. To reach the village one has to

be ferried across a 200 metre wide

reservoir on traditional wooden boats.

This story is about how we met this

particular family and how Asha Kiran

brought a ray of hope to them.

Ramu* and Bali* were married for16 years. They have two children 15

and 8 years of age. They were work-

ing in Mumbai as daily wage labour-

ers and returned home last year. The

couple habitually drink alcohol in the

evenings, which is quite customary in

these villages.

One dreadful evening last December

Bali spilt hot water on her hand and

sustained a large burn injury involv-ing the entire right hand. Bali was

taken to one of the many self-

proclaimed medicine-men of the

area. The result was a lot of money

lost and no improvement to the hand

whatsoever. Resigned to her fate Bali

Lamptaput is located in Odisha, south of Jaypur

Odisha

When Bali came into hospital, her hand was

covered in ash and cow dung, with maggots in it.

Balis hand

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The Healing Ministryof St. Andrews Church

The Healing ministry of St. Andrews Church (The Kirk), Egmore, Chennai is one of our key outreachministries. For the past many years, doctors and volunteers from The Kirk have been renderingmedical services at Thiruppalaivanam village which is about 50 kms away from Chennai city. This

labour of love has benefited many villages around

Thiruppalaivanam as well and has witnessed very

good results over the years.

The patients are mostly those who depend upon

agriculture and fishing for livelihood. Health con-

cerns are related to malnutrition, lack of properhygiene and poor knowledge of preventive care.

The problems are compounded by lack of access

to medical facilities and trained medical staff.

Recently, the Kirk has built a self contained build-

ing for its clinic and doctors from the city go there

four days in a week. Although there are govern-

ment medical centres in some of the villages, our

doctors are so sought after that patients come in

large numbers and are willing to wait till they are

treated. The need is growing and we envisage

expansion of our services in the near future. The

Kirk has a church at Thiruppalaivanam and

another at Avuriwakkam.

As a Church committed to holistic ministry, we

invite doctors, preferably a husband and wife team, who are willing to stay at Thiruppalaivanam to better

serve the people. The Church will be happy to provide all the assistance needed for the doctors to settle

there and will support the project fully. Those who are interested and would like any queries answered,

may please contact St. Andrews Churchs office on: 044-25612608(admin) / 044-25612757(accounts)

or email us at: saintandrewskirk@yahoo.com.

G.S.Rajasekaran, Secretary, St. Andrews Church Village Project, Egmore, Chennai- 600 008. T. N.

35 The Healing Ministry of St. Andrews ChurchVoice 10:4. Dec. 2012.

Crossword 10:4. ACROSS Crossword 10:4. DOWN2 SHEPHERDS Luke 2:20 1 GOVERNMENT Isaiah 9:65 SHOOT Isaiah 11:1. 3 SHEPHERD HIS FLOCK Micah 5:4.

9 RULER Micah 5:2 4 TREASURED Luke 2:19

10 SCEPTER Genesis 49:10 6 HOUSE OF BREAD Micah 5:2

11 THRONE 1Kings2:44-46 7 PAY ATTENTION 2 Peter 1:19-21

12 ABRAHAM Genesis12:7 8 BRANCH Jeremiah 33:14

14 RACHEL Jeremiah 31:15 10 SERPENT Genesis 3:15

15 PEACE Isaiah 9:7 13 MESSENGER Malachi 3:1

18 EMMANUEL Isaiah 7:14. 16 EGYPT Hosea 11:1

19 VIRGIN BIRTH Isaiah 7:14 17 DAVID Psalm 89:4

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The Simple Blessings of ChristmasMark Gilroy

Mark Gilroy in his book, The Simple Blessings of Christmas, says the simple blessings of

Christmas are all around us. All we have to do is open the eyes of our heart to see them.

36 Voice 10:4. Dec. 2012.The