Ludhiana: In a heartfelt journey back to his roots, Dr Sukhwinder Singh Sandhu, a distinguished specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology, has returned to Punjab from the United States to conduct free medical camps for underprivileged villagers in Moga district. Having left Punjab at the age of nine in 1970, Dr Sandhu, now 63 and a clinical assistant professor at Stanford School...
Ludhiana: In a heartfelt journey back to his roots, Dr Sukhwinder Singh Sandhu, a distinguished specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology, has returned to Punjab from the United States to conduct free medical camps for underprivileged villagers in Moga district.
Having left Punjab at the age of nine in 1970, Dr Sandhu, now 63 and a clinical assistant professor at Stanford School of Medicine, held a three-day medical camp at Sardarni Sukhminder Kaur Memorial Charitable Hospital in Lohara village. Joined by his children, Dr Jeevan Singh Sandhu, Keerat Kaur, Dr Sandhu aims to provide medical assistance to those in need while reconnecting with his cultural heritage.
Expressing concern over the health challenges faced by people in the Malwa belt, known for its environmental issues, Dr Sandhu emphasized the importance of addressing the healthcare needs of the community. The camp witnessed the compassionate service of the Sandhu family, bringing medical expertise to the region and fostering a sense of belonging for the next generation.
According to the Daily, Sandhu, a specialist in hospice and palliative care with a Stanford University fellowship in gastroenterology, expressed his deepest sorrow at the sight of the many Punjabis afflicted by ailments in the Malwa belt of the state, known for its air and groundwater contamination. He spoke with local doctors during his time at the camp; they have cutting-edge equipment and treatments, but he noticed that patients lacked easy access to them.
The locals can't afford private healthcare and don't have access to free public options. They claimed they couldn't afford to go for testing like a CT scan or an MRI when he inquired why they hadn't gotten treatment sooner.
“Patient after patient who came and I checked, I was simply heartbroken. From stomach to liver, lungs to heart, they are suffering from different ailments but not getting proper treatment and care," said Sandhu. He told The Indian Express, "I could not come earlier due to Covid but this time I decided that I have to go and hold a camp in Punjab to where I belong,” he said. Kahan Singh Pannu, former IAS officer and chairman of the charitable hospital in Moga where the three-day camp was held, said, “We had announced in all nearby villages that all people who were suffering from any kind of stomach-related issues or others should visit the camp.
We realized that people in villages are just suffering and not getting treatment done. They don’t get themselves checked with a fear that it might be something big and they don’t have money to get it treated. We wanted that Sandhu’s experience and expertise should be used to help the poor. So he checked patients for three days and advised them best possible treatment.”
The fact that rural residents of Punjab still had to trek miles to get to medical clinics startled Sandhu, a fellow of the American College of Physicians who has also led medical missions in the Philippines and China. “When I asked some of them that from where they came, they said they came from villages as far as 20 kilometers. They said they walked all way knowing a free camp was ongoing. They are not getting basic treatment and years later, diseases like cancer, hepatitis etc become untreatable. Many of these diseases are due to Punjab’s polluted water and air. I now plan to return here every year,” said Sandhu.
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