#22 Facing COVID in a remote and resource poor location

Dr George Mathew

He is 70 years old. Following graduation from Christian Medical College Vellore in 1975, he worked in a leprosy hospital in the kingdom of Bhutan. This was a small isolated hospital in Mongar, Eastern Bhutan often was as the only doctor in this remote location. Following this completed post graduation and helped start general surgery and O&G services along with my spouse in a rural unit of CMC Vellore.

Three years later Joined back as Faculty in dept of surgery. I spent a period of study in Australia receiving training in upper GI and laparoscopic Surgery as well as receiving a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Adelaide. I subsequently joined back the Department of surgery as faculty.

While serving in capacities such as the Vice principal of postgraduate education, Council secretary, Associate director for Missions, frequently volunteered for helping Christian hospitals by relieving young doctors and training them in laparoscopic surgery. The Initial experience of working in a remote area, created an abiding passion to help to younger surgeons working in isolation.

After retiring from CMC, as Professor of Surgery & Dean of Medical School, I spent seven years developing a young Medical college and teaching hospital for a Christian University in Indonesia. I Returned to India responding to a need in a remote hospital and is currently is working in Shanti Bhavan Medical Centre, in Biru village situated in an isolated tribal region of Jharkhand of north east India.