The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

(left to right) Abraham Thomas, Dr. Virginia Hall; Johnny B. Hall; Dr. Harinder Singh Bedi and Suzie Henning
Christian Medical College (CMC)
Ludhiana, Punjab, India
March 2016

On Sunday, April 3, 2016, Dr. Virginia Hall (Ginny) and her husband, Broadcast Pioneers member Johnny B. Hall, returned from a two-week stay at the Christian Medical College (CMC) in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. (Abraham Thomas, pictured above is the CMC Director. Also seen in the picture is Dr. Bedi, who is the chief of cardio-thoracic surgery at CMC). Accompanied by fourth-year medical student Suzie Henning (who hails from Hershey, Pennsylvania), Ginny mentored students and residents, taught and lectured hospital staff and served as a resource person in the department of obstetrics and gynecology. Ginny and Johnny attended Founders Day, celebrating the CMC's 120-year anniversary and the annual medical school convocation. Johnny participated in the CMC chapel's Maundy Thursday service. They are already making plans for next year. While in India, here's what Johnny wrote to us:

I miss Pennsylvania cooking big time. The only meat is chicken, small pieces, still on the bone, cooked in a spicy sauce. There's loads of white rice and the bread which I know as "naan," (several different varieties, apparently) along with a saucy potato and pea dish; paneer, which is white cheese in chunks in a sauce, and dahl, which is also a sauce.

It is virtually the same meal for every lunch and dinner, with very minor variations. We get some yogurt to put on top, so it is more palatable. There is only bottled water, sometimes cold, sometimes not. Dessert is sometimes pudding or a banana. We also get raw slices of red onion, peeled cucumber, a little bit of tomato, and what I think is red carrot, all au naturel.

Breakfast is corn flakes or some kind of gruel with hot milk, toast, with butter, peanut butter and jam available on request, a very plain jane omelet, on request, one small cup of coffee or tea, on request, and bottled water. As you can see, hospital campus cuisine is not one of the high points of our trip. But the people are lovely and they give what they have. We will be paying for all of it before we leave on Saturday.

Member Johnny B. Hall
outside one of the clinics of the Christian Medical College (CMC)
March 2016

I am hoping to get a couple hospital t-shirts. Ginny bought some saris and two Punjab suits. The women get all the pretty stuff; incredibly beautiful material. The guys wear plain-color trousers and plain-color short-sleeve shirts, now and then a tie. I miss my Aloha shirts!

As with many third-world countries, the people stand on ceremony and title. The Good Friday service at the campus chapel was three hours long. The medical school convocation was four and a half hours long in a tent with ineffective fans. The guest speaker spoke for one hour, mostly in Hindi. I would estimate 85-100 people got diplomas or awards, everyone coming to the stage one at a time, accepting the diplomas, having four pictures taken, and getting back to their seats. There were at least four additional speakers. The Easter sunrise service was about one and a quarter hours long, with a one and a half hour community breakfast, VERY well attended.

I have little to do and spend my time using what cybercommunication I have. It is not safe to leave the campus and there are armed guards everywhere, so we are protected. Ginny is much busier than I, and the soon to graduate medical student from Hershey, Suzie Henning, is having a good experience.

One of the outlying clinics
of the Christian Medical College (CMC)
March 2016

Well, it is what it is, and we have very little effect on matters at home so we do what we can. I know about three words in Hindi, and even those I mispronounce, so I do a lot of pointing. Great folks, but I wish I could communicate more. I have very little to do with the hospital, which is a good walk and a very scary trek over a very busy street at all hours, even with crossing guards. Ludhiana is another city which never sleeps. My hearing aids have stopped functioning, so I miss a lot of conversations.

We will be starting home on Saturday around noon with about a two and a half hour road trip to Chandigarh (remember the Wacky Races?), a one-hour flight to Delhi, a thee- hour flight to Doha, a twelve and a half hour flight to Dulles and a two and a half hour drive to Hummelstown. This does not count the considerable layovers between flights and the gantlet through Customs . (Twice! Once through Delhi and once through Dulles).

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com