A whirlwind meeting with FOV visitors

January 18^th

 

Today we met with Ruth and Gareth Tuckwell, from FOV UK, who are staying in Vellore for a week at CMC. Ruth has just taken over from Richard Smith as administrator of FOV UK and she is visiting for the first time, being given a whistle-stop induction of many of the places and projects currently being supported by FOV. They only flew into Chennai yesterday morning and I must say Ruth did have that rather starry look people have during their first encounter with the reality of India. They have a very tight schedule so are doing everything at the gallop, which isn’t quite how things work in India! 

We had just an hour for them to discuss with Dr Rita those projects which she has proposed to FOV for support this year. More detail was required by the committee on some aspects, before they could feel quite satisfied with giving support. The first project was providing housing for poor elderly (attenders at the Elderly Day centres) who have nowhere, or who need repairs done on their accommodation. In discussion it became clear that the housing would be very simple, just one room and a toilet, and that it would be on the land where the elders currently live (perhaps near to family or on family land). It would not be a CMC building and would be simple and cheap. RUHSA would work with local leaders to ensure that once the building was erected for the elderly person they would be able to remain there and there would be no suggestion of family members purloining it for themselves. (See previous blog re the story of Elamma at Kavanur). Gareth seemed happy with these explanations and I think FOV will take this project on. Of course we have seen during our visits that because of the terrible floods in December in Tamil Nadu there is even more need of this for people who have lost their homes or whose homes have been badly flood -damaged. Gareth thought that if Rita could get an estimated price for the type of building they envisage, then in future fund-raising it might be the sort of thing which would attract donors, ie to give a donation to build one simple home for an elderly person. 

The second project under discussion was the suggestion by Richard Rajamanickam, who is a retired audiologist and who lives part of the year in England and part in Vellore.He, like us, is on the VRCT sub-committee of FOV. ( Don't worry if you are confused by all the intials; you can still get the gist!)  Richard has obtained lots of hearing aids very cheaply and has been testing the elderly in our centres and fitting them with aids, if necessary. He is now suggesting two new age-groups for hearing-screening and intervention: firstly screening all babies born at RUHSA hospital (some 1300 per year); and secondly screening school-aged children in the schools in the block (approx. 1,000 up to the age of 13. There was some discussion about this but eventually Gareth suggested that Richard and Dr Rita need to work up this proposal in more detail than time allows us today and to put it to the committee when we meet in October. 

Thirdly we talked about the proposal re eye care, for those affected due to diabetes. Rita was able to make clear that this is aimed at one specific group, those who have diabetes and are in danger of developing retinopathy – ie damage to the retina which can happen with diabetes. The project would be to screen and test at-risk patients and to give treatment at an early stage, so preventing  serious damage. Once she had explained this Gareth felt sure that FOV would be happy to support it. 

Gareth asked if there was anything else to discuss, but with the hurried air of a man who hoped the answer was no. I felt I needed to mention our plan for a counselling group for young women, to be held fortnightly in early evening at Pachaikili centre. I gabbled as fast as I could and Dr Rita and others around the table made sympathetic noises of support; but in the end the time schedule won and Gareth said we must wind up now but I must put the proposal to the committee for and support next year. This is a downside of being under the auspices of FOV, I suppose. Previously we might have had this idea during a visit and told RUHSA to go ahead and implement it, confident that back home in the UK the Bishopston Kuppam Link would give the support. It is a pity that, given the very small cost involved (Dr Rita has said only travel expenses for the staff running the group), we cannot just go ahead and make a start. Patience Sally, patience! But this is a potential life-saver, so it is important; and I am sure that it will be supported eventually. 

We then went to the canteen for a specially-prepared and quite delicious lunch, also attended by Matthew, Sekar and a couple of other senior RUHSA staff, before poor Ruth and Gareth disappeared rapidly to their next meeting in Vellore.