“Religion to fight AIDS”

In his letter "Religion to fight AIDS” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, January 21, 2009) Dr Homi Dhalla has referred to the Bel-Air Hospital and College of Nursing (CON). I would request you to publish the following addendum.

The Bel-Air CON is the only such college affiliated with and supported by an American institution of higher learning in health care, the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing (UIC-CON). The affiliation followed an onsite feasibility study done in 2004 by Drs Karen Solheim and Beth Marks under the guidance of Dr Beverly McElmurry, Associate Dean and Head of Global Health Leadership office, an affiliate of WHO (World Health Organisation). Bel-Air CON’s first class of professional nurses will graduate in 2010. My husband Minu and I have been working closely with the Indian Red Cross (IRC) Maharashtra and Bel-Air Hospital since January 2004 and are immensely gratified to have introduced this endeavor and seen the affiliation happen.

In March 2009 Bel-Air programs of health education and community outreach were presented to the United Nations’ Commission on Status of Women (UN-CSW) colloquium by Deena Patel and Kamalrukh Katrak on behalf of IRC’s Homai Modi and Fr Tomy. The information can be viewed on UIC website: http://www.uic.edu/nursing/research/bel-air/info.shtml

The same material was presented to WHO’s chief scientist for nursing and midwifery, Dr Jean Yan at UIC-CON on April 9, 2009 at Dr McElmurry’s request.

Minu and I were at Bel-Air, January 13 to 23, 2009 and I was asked to conduct 10 curriculum-hour lecture series on critical care to third year nursing students. In two weeks the students received 15 contact lecture hours followed by a two-hour seminar given by students themselves. The whole experience was heartwarming and educational for both Minu and myself. Minu had intensive interaction with faculty and staff. The staff is very cooperative and well prepared to advance the modes of learning and teaching. We noticed that there are very few computers and their capacity needs to be increased. Much of the commercially available software is very expensive and Minu was able to familiarize the faculty with the use of statistical modules developed at UIC-CON which are free but not very user friendly.

One evening we enjoyed a delicious Parsi dinner with some 20 Parsis of Panchgani, courtesy Noshir Khambata and family of Mount View Hotel in their compound overlooking the valley.

Philanthropy extends beyond contribution of funds. UIC-CON faculty and staff have been donating their surplus nursing education books to the Bel-Air CON library ever since its inception. The fifth consignment of 26 boxes of books is in transit to Bel-Air at this time. The Bel-Air Benefit Foundation (BABF) is a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization launched in the US offering donors tax exempt advantages. It conducts Bel-Air promotion and advancement activities in the US and forwards all donations in full (without administrative or transmitted costs) to Bel-Air. The shipping costs for books to Bel-Air are paid by BABF, thus rendering all books entirely cost free to Bel-Air in India.

Bel-Air Hospital and CON have many more capital project needs. We receive many inquiries and are happy to handle them appropriately. Prospective and current nursing students at UIC and other universities in US forward their requests to us for their global education needs. One pharmaceutical executive in Bombay offered drug assistance. We referred that offer to Fr Tomy at Bel-Air.

Fighting AIDS is everyone’s business and religious duty. Besides sharing wealth, we all can share our time and talents in the interests of philanthropy.

MEHROO M. PATEL

Westchester, Illinois, USA

mkp@uic.edu