A medical mission in Morena
Learn with passion, earn with integrity, return with compassion.” This is a doctor’s sacred oath, and it serves as a gentle reminder of a deeper, nobler purpose for those in the medical profession.
A medical mission is not just about a group of doctors and volunteers travelling to places to provide healthcare. It is a project of love, compassion and deep commitment to alleviating human suffering. Whether in the remote corners of India or beyond our borders, each mission carries a powerful purpose — to bring healing and succour where it is needed the most.
Each medical mission is different not just because the place is different but because the needs, problems, expectations and facilities differ. At the heart of every medical mission a constant is the unwavering spirit of service among the doctors and volunteers.
Doctors on such missions bring with them a wealth of experience, knowledge and clinical skills. A very valuable aspect of our medical missions is how our doctors share their expertise with local doctors.
Our team of 21 doctors and 17 volunteers embarked on our week-long medical mission to Morena, Madhya Pradesh, in March 2025. With over 100,000 registrations, 5,129 OPDs and 1,048 surgeries and procedures, the scale of service was immense. All OTs and medical units were fully functional and optimised each day. Thousands of patients of every age travelled more than 200km daily to get treated.
Dermatologist Dr Vanita and Dr Anuj were beacons of hope and relief for tribal patients suffering from most neglected skin conditions. The plastic surgery team of Dr V D Singh, Dr Chanjeev Mehta, Dr Surinder and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Hemant performed many complicated surgeries on patients for facial, neck and axillary contractures to help them regain full neck function.
Behind every successful surgery were our anaesthesiologists Dr Madhurima and Dr Johannes — calm, focused and vigilant — during the most vulnerable surgeries. In the ENT group, Dr Patange and Dr Ashvin successfully diagnosed rare and giant cell tumors and treated them.
Orthopaedic surgeons Dr Ravjit and Dr Nikhil carried out numerous intricate surgeries. Notably, tibia nailing by suprapatellar approach and talus with subtalar fixation were performed for the first time in Morena.
Dr Sanjay Kalra and Dr Aman rendered exemplary service by delivering 10 complete dentures, a first-time addition to the mission, which made a remarkable difference to the recipients.
In ophthalmology, Dr Anil, Dr Manjit, Dr Vikram and Dr Uday not only performed cataract surgeries but also carried out oculoplastic procedures. It sounds Greek to us but meant a lot to the patients. Urologist Dr Mandal provided expert clinical care and guidance, benefitting over 550 patients through his consultations and interventions.
In paediatrics and public health, Dr Rita observed that over half of the cases involved neurological delays, and to address these issues, she conducted health education sessions. Young ophthalmologist Dr Uday, grandson of our senior general surgeon PDG Dr R S Parmar, joined as a volunteer — embodying the legacy of service.
Gynaecologists Dr Namita and Dr Bhavana performed many long-neglected surgeries, bringing much-needed relief to the poor women. PDG Dr Girish Gune, a very able surgeon with miracle hands from RI District 3131, is a constant at all our medical missions. This spirit of respectful collaboration, learning, and serving transformed many lives.
Two pillars of our medical mission were mission director PDG Subhash Garg and medical director Dr Parmar — one leading from the front with unwavering purpose, the other managing with precision and care.
The team of dedicated volunteers including RID 3080 DG Rajpal Singh, RC Chandigarh president Jatinder Kapur, PDG Arun Mongia, IPP Chirag, Praveen Garg, Brij Parmar, Neelam Aggarwal, Charu Mongia and Usha Saboo efficiently managed patient movement, meals, OT transport, and hospitality of the team. From the host Rotary clubs, the contributions of Dr Sanjiv Bandil and PDGs Dr V K Gangwal, Bhupendra Jain and Radhe Rathi were invaluable.
We gave gifts to the scared, crying children to calm them and to the patients to express our gratitude for giving us an opportunity to serve. We Rotarians achieve what politicians often cannot — bring understanding and peace through our healing hands and caring hearts.
In my Sanskrit class in school, I was taught Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Serving in the medical missions, with every smile, every tear wiped, every life touched — I experienced the real essence of the whole universe being one family.
The writer, a past RI President, attended the Morena medical mission, along with his wife Usha Saboo
