Friday, December 14, 2012


It was a nine days of life-changing experience to be a part of the India-Nigeria Rotary Polio Surgeries Mission in Abuja. 

Having returned home yesterday, the team was agog yet humbled for having transformed the lives of 353 patients by conducting 780 surgical procedures. 

The amount of work that the team of our doctors put in, may have come in a surprise for the local doctors and nurses, but they stood by us and actively involved themselves, in making this mission a success.

From our District 3080, we had the Past Rotary International President Raja Saboo who conceived this unique medicare mission dedicated to polio corrective surgeries, orthpedician Dr. J.P. Nawani from Dehradun, a young dynamic anesthesiologist Dr. Sunil Mehta from Panipat, Dr. S.K. Sablok from Nahan and myself as volunteers. 

There had been many moving moments when little children with multiple deformities were wheeled in by the nursing staff.  Many sat silently wondering what next?  

Many little ones did not even whimper when drip needle was inserted into their veins, yet a few wept having been away from their parents.  And here was a little girl who would not let go of Raja Saboo and clinged on to him firmly 

Besides the local media supports, Rotary International has provided extensive coverage. Here are links to some of the reports that have appeared on the Rotary websites, for your ready reference.