This spring, Professors Carly Peterson and Daphne Thomas led a group of 14 nursing students to Rishikesh, India as part of the college's worldwide Global & Population Health Nursing Clinical Practicum effort. They spent time working with professionals in the clinics and serving those living in informal housing communities.
Central to the students’ experience was learning to love and value people regardless of their societal status. They served people in and out of the hospital and got to know children of God from many different walks of life.
While basic practices are similar between Indian and U.S. medicine, there are some key differences. “It was unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” said Professor Peterson when remembering the hospital scene.
The hospitals were overrun, with the number of patients seeking care far exceeding the number of available staff. This is due in part to India’s healthcare system, which mixes the public and private sector and allows those who cannot afford care to receive free treatment.
Overcrowding also puts strain on the resources available to patients. For example, sedatives and painkiller medications are few and far between, meaning only those who pay have access to such luxuries. The rest enter the hospital anticipating the full pain of any illness or operation.
The BYU nursing students had the opportunity to participate in the clinic, if they so desired. “It was extremely hands-on,” said fifth semester student Dallin Gordon. “You were able to do as much as you were willing to [try].”
This gave them special insights about the minute details of Indian healthcare. One major difference Dallin and his peers picked up on is the central role loved ones play in a patient’s care. Feeding, changing, and bathing a patient are all tasks assumed by their family. Doctors and nurses, meanwhile, take care of truly medical needs.
These responsibilities result in many devoted family members staying at the hospital 24/7. They aren’t provided with beds or rooms, and as such, occupy space in the hallways or camp out in waiting areas. This creates congestion in the hospital, but the alternative for those patients who are single or otherwise without caretakers is also a dire problem.
“A lot of times, if a person was single or didn't have family nearby, they kind of lost that human connection,” Dallin lamented. Bed-ridden, ailing, and often in great pain from a lack of painkiller distribution in the Indian healthcare system, these patients often feel truly, hopelessly alone.
Students were able to bring light to those patients simply by being near them and taking small steps to care for them. Despite a prominent language barrier, Dallin said that simply holding their hand or smiling at them made a “night and day difference.”
Another way students served those that are often left behind was by visiting impoverished communities. Though India no longer has an official caste system, Professor Thomas said it’s still “alive and well” in Indian culture.
One’s caste determines many aspects of their life—who they can marry, educational or professional opportunities, and more. Many in lower castes live difficult lives with little opportunity to move up. These people often end up living in extremely overcrowded housing conditions and lack access to basic services like water, electricity, and transportation.
Those living in these underserved communities are referred to as “untouchables,” and it is considered unclean for those in higher castes to interact with them at all. This means very little aid is given to the untouchable class.
The BYU nursing students visited children in these communities on multiple occasions, playing games with them and letting them feel loved. Even something as simple as smiling and talking with them was more than the children received from anyone else outside of their home, and it did much to brighten their days.
“They shared joy with the children,” said Professor Peterson. “And that joy reflected back at them.” Though the students were initially wary about going into these communities where sicknesses can spread easily, it became their favorite part of the experience, and they wanted to return each day.
Professor Peterson reflected on how much Heavenly Father loves each of His children: “God is so much a part of everybody’s lives. How He does that is hard to imagine.” Yet, in a way we can’t comprehend, God is intimately aware of each of us no matter where we live.
Students and faculty will continue traveling to Rishikesh for years to come, touching the hearts of people across caste systems and physical conditions. As they do, their ability to love all people will continue to grow.