So today morning I was studying in my college library, and there came a senior- "the documentary film of burn survivors and the camp diaries, will be screened in the J. Mehta lecture theatre in 5 mins". Few jobless people like me bothered to even look up at him...others were busy engrossed in studying! I thought, I can read anytime. What's there in the book is not going anywhere but there will be only one chance to see the film. So I thought of sparing an hour for it. And within the next minute, I closed my book and came to JMLT.
The compère was fidgeting with his laptop. (Being a medical student, How could I waste time!! And I began to read the soft copy of that same book on the phone until it began). He welcomed the audience and set the wheels in motion!
The film first introduced us to the plight of the burn survivors. They had travelled to the village of the survivor in some remote place in Maharashtra. Incredible! They talked about how Yogesh, standard 10th student got burnt in childhood because of the explosion of the stove, how his family couldn't afford anything more than just saving his life. Then was a talk by the principal of his school about the attitude of his peers towards him, about his academic performance.
Then came the turn of Yogesh's life when he visited KEM. Those very familiar corridors being projected, those needy people waiting in the OPD. Then the head of plastic surgery department of KEM explains about the case. Told us how he was when he first came here. And how they ameliorated his life. Then from the Dean's desk was a talk on the mental state of burn survivors.
The plastic surgery department of KEM was toying with the idea of having a camp for these survivors, first of its kind in India. A place where they get to meet and enjoy with people who could best understand their agony and pain, the other victims of burn!
The camp was in a suburb of mumbai. They left in a bus with survivors and volunteers. There they danced their hearts out! Played various games. More importantly-they opened up!
The head of department talks-"I would like to share an incident with you. There was a kid who used to wear a scarf around his head to cover the scar. I told him he could remove it after the surgery. But he didn't. And during the camp, today I saw that his scarf was off. That was the best compliment to me"
Though I hadn't participated in it in anyway but I still felt the joy of changing someone's life for the good, forever! I'm proud of my will-be-profession!
Back to cramming now.....
