Thursday, March 12, 2009

ROAD RASH AND CLINICAL TRIALS

I'm in kind of a weird place as I write this. In the last week I've spent time in a hospital shooting the first part of a story on patients taking part in a clinical trial for chemo therapy treatment. There has been a 65% rise in trials in India in the last two years due to the number of potential subjects and loose regulations.

As if that weren't enough taking a 20 hour train ride to get to where I wanted to be I got sick myself. As I tried to continue with the shooting with a bad tummy and a fever, I wound up getting run over by a motorcycle as I was leaving the hospital the hospital. Fortunately I was a few hundred yards away from decent medical care. Nothing broken. Just bumps, bruises, and scratches. This as I was considering getting my own motorcycle. I was exhausted,lonely, sick, and sore on a dirty hospital bed surrounded by the people who's story I wanted to tell. Everyone looked perplexed by the situation I found myself in. Wasn't I just there with a camera? What happened? Who did this to you?

With all that I have seen and the care that people had received I was trying not wonder if the sheet I was lying on was going to make me sicker. Despite the lack of so called Western conditions a great deal of care goes into the treatment of patients here. Why should I feel the need for something better? I felt a bit ashamed of myself. Doctor dropped what they were doing just to be sure I was taken care of. Patients came over and smiled. Nothing terminal like my bunk mates. Just a few bumps, bruises, and damaged pride. I said I wanted to do this project because one of the things I thought that leveled the playing field for all of us is health care. I should put emphasis care. This was not the most modern hospital bed I have ever been it may have been my best I've ever been treated in a hospital any where.



1 comment:

Sonal Vaz said...

keith hey,

hope you doing well in northern india or punjab is it? im sonal vaz. i work between mumbai and goa. Currently shooting in goa. Was surfing lightstalkers and bumped into your call for a translator. hope you foud one. and this is great work especially considering you were unwell.
im glad you like the Indian chai, it keeps changing from city to city but it will keep you going for sure. Punjab has great food, esp. the dhabas. dont miss out on it.

i wish you luck. you need any help, you could catch me by mail.

cheers,
regards
sonal.