Establishing a Memorial Trust Overseas (Kashmir) for the Promotion of Health, Awareness and Education

AIMS: To promote physical and mental health in underprivileged communities; (II) to increase awareness on health matters in the community and students. METHODS: 1. A free medical health camp twice a year. Patients receive free consultation, free medication and referral to secondary or tertiary services. 2. An ambulance service available all times. 3. Two blood donation events, 2012 in collaboration with Red Cross and 2022, in collaboration with an international charity and the hospital of Baramulla. 4. Sponsorship to students, from primary school to university, with a mentoring scheme for university students. 5. Mental Health awareness programme every year in different Universities. RESULTS: 1. To date, 3122 patients were seen at the camps. Medical and psychiatric specialist services are offered face to face or virtual. Depression, Anxiety Disorder and PTSD are the most prevalent disorders. There is an increase in substance use in youth. Polypharmacy is common practice. 2. Ambulance catered for 2404 patients. The first patient was an 11-year-old boy, with acute abdomen. He was transferred to tertiary hospital and operated within three hours. 3. Second blood donation event has broken the World Record of number of donations in one day. A database of regional donors was set up. Screening has identified two women with anaemia, highlighted health inequalities which were reported to local government. 4. Sponsored and mentored university students have completed their degrees and secured placements in tertiary hospitals. 5. Mental Health awareness programme identified the need for counselling services in universities and need for similar programmes. CONCLUSION: This project has given an opportunity to turn loss into positive and a grief into hope. It will help family to move on by providing to the local community. Being a medic trained in UK the author was able to utilize skills into serving her home community, put vision into action and fulfil Hippocratic oath.