Sia Lakshmi Sampson

Middle School Winner, Grade 7
New Market, Maryland

Project SIA: Strengthening Indians’ Access (SIA) to Healthcare During Emergencies

“Healthcare must be recognized as a right, not a privilege.” -Bernie Sanders

Exactly half of my family’s doctors are Indian, and since COVID-19, I think about how badly their skills are needed throughout India. As a future doctor, I feel both pride and sadness about the amount of successful Indian healthcare providers in the US, while India suffers severe shortages. Everyone deserves proper healthcare access, especially during emergencies. Those with training, younger and older, can contribute to closing India’s healthcare provider gap. I am committed to promoting medical volunteerism in India and increasing staff to increase access.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Research (2023) determined India has the highest rate of doctor “brain drain” with the most domestically-trained doctors working abroad. One analysis showed 75,000 India-trained doctors are working abroad, with two-thirds in the US. This increases drastically when adding internationally-trained doctors of Indian descent. Additional research (2024) found India is severely short of healthcare professionals having only one-quarter of the "human resources for health" WHO Guidelines.

Along with healthcare understaffing is undertrained officials and underfunded budgets, resulting in an extremely strained medical system that worsens during emergencies. Volunteering is one solution! Research (2022) found 85% of surveyed Indian healthcare officials have lengthy careers but never had leadership/management training. This limits proper emergency response and staffing coordination. Since India only spends about 2% of GDP on public healthcare, among the lowest worldwide, there isn't enough resources for necessary doctors and nurses. Medical volunteering by individuals and through partnerships would greatly benefit India's healthcare system and population.

In addition to pandemics, India experiences seasonal emergencies that cause major illnesses/injuries such as monsoons, flooding, and heatwaves further straining its healthcare system. These dangerous emergencies recently worsened to record-breaking levels, creating greater need for increased healthcare access. They occur May-September, perfect timing for US healthcare students to volunteer over summer break and for US healthcare professionals during summer vacation.

"The saving of all people waits in thy hand." -India’s national anthem

US college and graduate students in healthcare programs should perform medical volunteering for professional development and charity. It allows diversified learning about healthcare careers and systems, and better developed patient care and interaction skills. It also can produce deeper sense of purpose. Established US healthcare professionals should be medical volunteers for continuing education credit, personal fulfillment, and learning from diverse patient cases and problem-solving within difficult systems. Medical volunteerism fees usually include local community housing allowing immersion into Indian culture while making a positive impact. However, airfare is expensive but excluded, so US residents’ sponsorship would expand volunteerism.

Various medical volunteer opportunities exist throughout India for clinical work including treating minor injuries/illnesses, taking patients’ vitals, documenting patient records, physician/nurse shadowing, and observing consultations and surgeries. These rewarding opportunities are available for ages 18+ to boost healthcare staffing by spending weeks or months across the country, from Jaipur to Kerala, via organizations like Volunteering with India, International Volunteer HQ, and more. Also, India-based healthcare student internships exist through US schools like Johns Hopkins University.

It's very important for students and professionals to give back and contribute to success of the nation where your ancestors come from, since that remains part of you no matter where you migrate. Your roots will always be who you are. Without good health, society cannot thrive. Therefore, we should all either fundraise, directly sponsor, or perform medical volunteerism to help strengthen Indians' access to healthcare by sharing skills, especially during emergencies when needed most.