By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – Dr. Nandana Kansra of Shrewsbury led a mission to Haiti Feb. 17-24, where she and a team of fellow volunteers from the St. Anne’s Free Medical Program at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Shrewsbury spent a week dispensing medicine, care and supplies to hundreds of Haitians in need.
“There is so much to do and so little time,” Kansra said, noting that what her team provided is just a drop in the bucket.
The group was made up of colleagues from the St. Anne’s Free Medical Program where Kansra volunteers on Tuesday evenings. Nine people made up the team which included a pediatrician, two other physicians and three nurses. It took about a year to plan.
The mission was based in a village called Blanchard. They went through an organization called Partners in Development (PID) that provides service trips. Kansra did her homework and found that this organization donates a larger percentage of funds raised directly to programming as opposed to other similar organizations.
On the mission, Kansra said the primary health issues she encountered were related to malnutrition, diabetes and high blood pressure. They saw anywhere from 100 to 200 patients a day. Apart from medical care, they helped arrange 15 child sponsorships through PID. The community of Shrewsbury donated 400 pounds of supplies such as eyeglasses, protein bars, first aid, personal care items and coloring books and bubbles for children.
Kansra said she was struck by the people’s attitude, noting that they didn’t fight, they were generous and shared what they had with one another. They were also very patient as they waited to be seen.
A specialist in internal medicine with the St. Vincent Medical Group, Kansra lives in Shrewsbury with her husband, a pharmaceutical representative, and two daughters in seventh and eighth grade. She brought her daughters with her on this mission and they were useful with children’s activities and helping with painting and counting medication.
She hopes to be able to do a mission at least every other year and said she would especially love to return to Haiti. She recommended contacting Partners in Development should anyone want to make a donation or sponsor a child at www.pidonline.org.
photos/submitted
