Inspired Joanna’s medical mission

Joanna Pegg will fly out to India in April

MANY people make a New Year’s resolution to change their lives.

But trainee doctor Joanna Pegg will help to make a difference to other people’s lives when she spends five weeks in southern India.

The 22-year-old, of Gatehead Croft, Delph, will fly out to the Kerala region in April as part of her medical course at Birmingham University, splitting her time between hospital clinics in the city of Trivandrum and working in rural areas marred by poor sanitation and waterborne diseases.

She was inspired to carry out her fourth year medical elective in Kerala by Hilary Wood, her former geography teacher at Saddleworth High School.

But she has to provide her own equipment and drugs, such as vaccinations and anti retro-virals, which will cost around £1,100 on top of her flights and living costs.

The school has donated £650 from a non-uniform day to help Joanna, who said: “Kerala is a region which, although it has the highest literacy rate in India, still suffers from many problems.

“As many as 97,000 children under the age of one died between April, 2005, and July, 2008.

“I feel by practising medicine in the rural communities here I could make a real difference to many families by using more westernised and modern medical practices.

“I was particularly inspired to visit the region by Mrs Wood who taught us about Kerala and the importance of literacy rates in helping these third world countries become more developed.

“She was an amazing teacher, one of those who could just capture a class and make them listen.”

Joanna, who will meet students from around the world, added: “It will be interesting to see how different it is to the health system here.

“Although Kerala has high literacy rates, it is quite poor so I do not think you can expect transport, living accommodation or food to be the same as in England.”

People who would like to sponsor Joanna can e-mail her at jsp507@bham.ac.uk.