Healing the wounds of the nations
The Medical Ministry of Dr. Pushpa Rout
Orissa, India:
Category of wound: Natural disaster. Beginning in 1999, Orissa was devastated by the worst typhoon in the history
of
India in decades. The death toll was in the tens of thousands, with
multiplied thousands more left homeless, without food or safe drinking
water. In the wake of the typhoon thousands more have died from
treatable infectious disease due to lack of medical care and adequate health
awareness in preventing disease. Thousands of children were orphaned,
aged people left desolate, and hopeless grips the hearts of the
survivors. Orissa continues to be plagued by heavy monsoons and
draught, making the rebuilding of the communities and life increasingly
difficult.
Obstacles to healing:
Persecution. Orissa has within the
last year passed an anti-conversion law, making outreach to those who need
help punishable by up to 4 years in prison and a costly fine. In the
past, persecution of Christians has been limited to isolated incidents not
sanctioned by the government itself. With the institution of this new
law, the fundamentalist Hindu groups are emboldened to carry out more
frequent and more severe acts of cruelty upon those who evangelize and those
who are believers.
Course of treatment: Medical Outreach.
The medical ministry of Dr. Pushpa Rout
and her husband Prem has met with great favor among
even 
fundamental
Hindu groups in the many villages where they take the gospel. The
Indian government does very little to help alleviate
the desperate need for medical care among the destitute
villagers. Most aid is limited to cities, and often the resources
delegated to non-government organizations for helping the needy is
misappropriated and never reaches those who need it most. Dr. Rout and
her family started a work among these needy villagers in the yea 2000, with
no support and no promise of support. They have taken a stand of faith
and sacrificially poured out their lives to meet the needs of their fellow
Indian brothers and sisters. (More
information on medical outreach)
Health Awareness Teaching. In
addition to free medical care, the Routs present health awareness teaching
for the villagers. 
They
learn the importance of simple things like proper hygiene, and how to prevent
contagious and infectious disease. Special emphasis is also given to
educating women on prenatal care and proper care for newborns. The
infant mortality rate in the villages is quite high, as most women are
uneducated and often observe superstitious practices which further endanger
the health and life of the infant. (More
information on health awareness teaching)
Adult Literacy Training.
As was previously mentioned, most village women are uneducated and
illiterate. This often leads 
to
a bleak future for many young girls born to poor parents. It is not
uncommon in the villages for girls to be sold as young as 10 years of age to
marry a man their father's age or older. In most of these cases, the
girls are not only sexually abused, but often beaten and sold repeatedly to
other men. Literacy training offers these women a better life, of
course the ability to read the Bible and other Christian material for
themselves. (More
information on adult literacy)
Caring For the Orphans. Like many
third world nations, there is no shortage of orphans and street
children. The Routs go 
to
these villages and their hearts, just as yours and mine, are broken by the
vast number of homeless street children and orphans. They run the
streets begging for food, money, and attention. Many times these
children are abducted and sold as slaves where they will be treated worse
than dogs. Tens of thousands die daily from starvation, disease, and
violence. The Routs are reaching out to these destitute children through
offering free schooling, clothing and food. They also provide free
medical immunization for the children. (More
information on children's outreach)