Bangalore Baptist Hospital

Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located in southeastern India, Bangalore is one of the nation’s most populous cities. The weather is most hot in April, with rain from June to November. December to February is cooler. During the British Raj, it was a centre of colonial rule in South India. Today, Bangalore is home to well-recognized colleges, research institutions, software, aerospace, and telecommunications companies.

Become familiar with India’s culture, history and economy by reviewing the Wikipedia India Page Profile. Rich resources for India health information include the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME India Country Profile and the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory India Data.

Those coming for care at Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) are a mix of both urban dwellers and those traveling from the rural north. About 80 percent are Hindu, 10 percent Moslem, and 10 percent Christian. Literacy among BBH patients runs sixty percent. A substantial number of patients are unable to pay for their medical care. They commonly suffer from hypertension, diabetes, asthma, tetanus, malaria, hydatid disease, typhoid fever, and occasionally even cholera. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death among adults, and malnutrition frequently afflicts younger children.

Seven major languages are spoken in Bangalore, and most individuals can communicate in three or four of them. The hospital staff speaks English, and all charting and teaching is conducted in English. Translation for non-English speaking patients is readily available.

BBH has capacity for 200 inpatients, and each year performs 3,800 surgeries, 3,000 deliveries, and 180,000 outpatient consultations. BBH provides specialty care in all the major medical fields, including even vascular surgery, ENT, infertility, and ophthalmology. It is also one of the very few medical care facilities that will treat patients with HIV.

BBH is a widely recognized medical education institution, offering residency training in family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, and anesthesiology. It is also home to a diploma-level nursing school and a pastoral counseling program. BBH was established by the International Mission Board, SBC, in 1973, and since 1989 is governed by the Christian Medical College Vellore.

Medical care and public health supervision and instruction is provided by a full complement of BBH department chiefs, many of whom completed their postgraduate training in Europe and the United States. BBH enjoys a close academic relationship with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

The Community Health Department of Bangalore Baptist Hospital serves the rural area located in Devanahalli Taluk, about 35 km from BBH and serving some 35,000 people living in 50 villages. Interventions include health awareness programs for school children and women’s groups. Local capacity building is enhanced through training anganwadi workers, auxiliary nurse midwives, and by providing continuing medical education for primary health centre medical officers.

Access to primary care in increased mobile clinics held in the remote and hard-to-access villages. Special vigilance is made to identify malnourished children and provide nutritional support and follow up care. The Community Health Department also engages in leprosy eradication and prevention of impairment for leprosy patients. A chronic disease initiative is a high priority, using street plays and screening camps to increase awareness of atherosclerotic diseases and reduce risk factors.

Internet access and wireless telephone service is readily available.

INMED invites all participants to consider raising extra funds to financially support this facility. While such efforts are not required, they provide opportunity for INMED personnel to become involved in this important aspect of international healthcare.

Bangalore Baptist Hospital