Lauren Kelly ’16 and Nandita Krishna ’16

January 2015

Tribal Health Care in Tamil Nadu

Lauren Kelly ’16 and Nandita Krishna ’16 traveled to India over January of 2015 to study public health initiatives with an Indian NGO in Tamil Nadu. At the Association for Health Welfare in the Nilgiris (ASHWINI), Lauren and Nandita shadowed doctors, observed surgical procedures and attended lectures by medical staff at the Gudalur Adivasi Hospital. They traveled with the hospital’s Mobile Clinic to visit villages across the Nilgiris, observing healthcare in rural areas and assisting with basic but necessary tasks. Lauren (Biology, ’16) and Nandita (Creative Writing and Mathematics, ’16) brought complementary experience in statistical analysis and health outcomes research to the project. Both are on the pre-med track with interests in science education, pediatrics and public health. They believe the opportunity to observe health care beyond a clinical setting in the context of cultural exchange, and to be able to share Indian ideas about healthcare, policies and education with the Oberlin community is important.