This is my 8^th year that I’ve been traveling to places around the world and offering free medical care to the poor and needy.  I call them my “medical missions.”  Those who know me well, know and understand that it is my yearly trek to go half way around the world to heal and give free medicine to those in need, living in remote villages.

This was my fifth trip time with Global Health Force.  I’ve been to Vietnam, Haiti, Dominican Republic and now India with Dr. Tran and other volunteers.  The main reason why I go is to find a sense of purpose by serving the poor and needy.  I enjoy the bonding experience with other volunteers; the beautiful
landscapes of Vietnam and Dominican Republic; and amazing cultural exchanges in Haiti and India.   I was born in Vietnam and immigrated here at a very young age.  Given my immigrant story and background as a family physician, I carry a longing desire and commitment to give back to the underserved where access to medical care is limited.

In our current trip to India, we had several challenges along with many  highlights.  We were able to administer primary care to people in villages outside the city limits of Bangalore, to retired senior citizens in a nursing home, and to street children at a local youth home.   We tasted some of the best Indian food at our hotel and local restaurants. I was able to perform minor surgeries on more patients in India than I have in any of our other trips.

Some of our challenges involved getting acclimated to the culture and the traffic in Bangalore.  If you think L.A. traffic is horrendous, you haven’t been to Bangalore. With 10 million people residing in the city, sometimes it took us close to 2 hours to go 15 miles.  In Vietnam,
we’re used to getting up when the rooster crows at 5am and getting on the bus to arrive at the local village by 8am.  We would work straight through lunch until the afternoon before boarding our bus to go back to the hotel.  In India, we started our bus ride at 8am and would arrive around 10am at the local work site.  Then, we were invited to have tea with the administrator and didn’t begin work until a bit later.  Around 1pm, lunch would be offered, and then afternoon tea.  Needless to say, we were not accustomed to the culture, and this caused some frustration for me because I am used to American time and maximizing our efforts to see as many people as possible in one examining day.

What I have valued the most from my trips with Global Health Force is the ability to balance work and fun.What you may not know is that all the volunteers spend their vacation time and hard-earned money to go on these trips.  While it is true that they would like the humbling exerience of helping the poor and needy, it is just as important to share with the volunteers rich cultural experiences along with the surrounding sights and sounds.  A balance of fun and hard work is wrapped all together in a rewarding and humbling gift to treasure for a lifetime.

This is pretty much the reason why I return to work with Global Health Force every year.  I knew that although I would have to work hard and travel long hours to reach the people, I knew that I would have some down time to enjoy the cultural delights that India has to offer.

I believe that the Indian patients, who came into our primitive, man-made “clinics,” all had in common a sense of gratitude and  ppreciation for our work and presence in their country.  It didn’t matter if you’re playing the role of doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, you are
given the gift of a genuine smile and thank you with every life that you touch. As a doctor working with Global Health Force, I am inspired by the amount of generosity of the volunteers and graced by the kindness of the Indian people.  Our patients have limited means
to pay for their health care; most of them do not know how to say thank you in English; but they have the uncanny ability to give me a lasting memory about my trip—whether it’s a smile from a baby receiving a stuffed toy animal or a squeal of laughter from a young boy playing soccer with some of our volunteers.

These patients are not as fortunate as you and I.  Often times, they do not know how they are going to feed their families; how they are going to afford for their kids to go to school; how they are going to make a living; or how they are going to pay for the medicines to treat their diabetes and hypertension.  Global Health Force not only provides free health care and several months supply of free medicine, they work with local volunteers to help pay for staple foods, mosquito nets, blankets, and general household supplies.  Also, we bring over huge suitcases full of donated toys for the children of the local community.

We are not like the other international organizations that have fancy doctors performing complicated cataract surgeries or life changing cleft lip operations.  We are a group of ordinary people with simple missions to work together with our counterparts around the world to deliver medical care, education, resources, and supplies to those most in need so that they might have a more hopeful and productive future, and to live a more dignified life.

With all that I give and teach to our patients abroad, it pales in comparison to the bountiful gift of grace and humility that our patients give me in return.  They teach me that simplicity, kindness, and love can offer beauty and peace into my life no matter where I am.  That is the lasting feeling I bring back with me to the USA, and I hope lasts all year long…or at least until the next time I travel on my medical missions.

To be a part of Global Health Force as a family physician, a woman, and a volunteer is a tremendous experience that I recommend for everyone.  No matter our profession, gender, age, or language of choice, the gift of volunteering provides immense joy and rewarding humility that lasts a lifetime and lives deep within our soul for all the days to come.  What I realize from my volunteer experiences is that I am not healing the poor, sick and needy, but they are lifting my spirits and leave me richer than ever before.

Dr. Amy Nguyen