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Summary

Serving a mix of both urban dwellers and those from the rural north, Bangalore Baptist Hospital provides comprehensive preventive and curative care in the full spectrum of specialties. The hospital staff speaks English and all charting and teaching is conducted in English. Translation for non-English speaking patients is readily available. Students are provided housing in a modern hostel.

Education is a major focus of the institution, and students learn to rely on clinical skills and judgment rather than on technology. They select a particular specialty department and participate in all related aspects of patient care. Students will also participate in formal learning activities, including hospital-wide teaching sessions, didactic conferences, case presentations and interactive sessions with attending physicians.

Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located in southeastern India, Bangalore is one of the nation's most populous cities. The weather is most hot in April, with rain from June to November. December to February is cooler. During the British Raj, it was a centre of colonial rule in South India. Today, Bangalore is home to well-recognized colleges, research institutions, software, aerospace, and telecommunications companies.

Visitors fly into the Bangalore International Airport. Hospital personnel will meet them on arrival and transport to the hospital facilities.

For current information, please visit the Embassy website appropriate for one's country. Visitors should request a tourist visa - not a visa related to work or to study, and should apply at least 6 weeks in advance. United States citizens can visit the Embassy of India website at http://www.indianembassy.org/

Please check the CDC travel website for the most up-to-date health information: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx and consult with your physician before traveling.

Recommended immunizations include hepatitis A and B, polio, tetanus, and typhoid. Malaria prophylaxis not required in Bangalore.

Visitors are advised to regularly check the United States State Department website for the most up-to-date information regarding country specific travel information and travel advisories: http://www.state.gov/travel/

People coming for care at Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) are a mix of both urban dwellers and those traveling from the rural north. About 80 percent are Hindu, 10 percent Moslem, and 10 percent Christian. Literacy among BBH patients runs sixty percent. A substantial number of patients are unable to pay for their medical care. They commonly suffer from hypertension, diabetes, asthma, tetanus, malaria, hydatid disease, typhoid fever, and occasionally even cholera. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death among adults, and malnutrition frequently afflicts younger children.

Seven major languages are spoken in Bangalore, and most individuals can communicate in three or four of them. The hospital staff speaks English, and all charting and teaching is conducted in English. Translation for non-English speaking patients is readily available.

BBH was established by the International Mission Board, SBC, in 1973, and since 1989 is governed by the Christian Medical College Vellore. It has capacity for 200 inpatients, and each year performs 3,800 surgeries, 3,000 deliveries, and 180,000 outpatient consultations. BBH provides specialty care in all the major medical fields, including even vascular surgery, ENT, infertility, and ophthalmology. It is also one of the very few facilities that will treat patients with HIV.

A community health program is sponsored by BBH, with its base located 35 km north of the hospital. It provides primary health care and mobile clinics to some 25 villages.

BBH is a widely recognized medical education institution, offering residency training in family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, and anesthesiology. It is also home to a diploma-level nursing school and a pastoral counseling program.

http://bbh.org.in

Medical care supervision and instruction is provided by a full complement of BBH department chiefs, many of whom completed their postgraduate training in Europe and the United States. The hospital director/CEO is Alex Thomas, MBBS, MS (Orthopedics). BBH enjoys a close academic relationship with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, under the leadership of Amit Shah, MD, and Rebekah Naylor, MD.

The unique teaching focus is for students to rely on clinical skills and judgment rather than on technology. Students select a particular specialty department and participate in all related aspects of patient care. This will usually include daily ward rounds and outpatient clinics, intensive care and emergency care. Students will also participate in formal learning activities, including hospital-wide teaching sessions, didactic conferences, case presentations and interactive sessions with attending physicians.

Students are provided housing in a modern hostel designated for visiting students and staff. Single room accommodations are available.

Internet access and wireless telephone service is readily available.

Bangalore is known as the "Garden City of India" because of its greenery and the presence of many public parks. It is also home to the Kannada film industry and a vibrant theater scene. In addition, Bangalore is a major center of Indian classical music and dance with recitals widely held throughout the year.

INMED invites all participants to consider raising extra funds to donate to support the facility. This is not required but allows INMED participants to become involved in every aspect of medical missions.

The best policy is to be conservative and modest, and western style clothing is the norm. MEN: Wear slacks and white coat for hospital work, but no necktie. Shorts are worn only for sports. WOMEN: Wear longer skirts or pants and white coat for hospital work. Tops should cover the hips and not be revealing in any way. Shorts are never worn. BOTH: Scrubs are not worn outside the operating theater.

Visitors should bring their own personal medications, toiletries, white coat and stethoscope.

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