It was hot with calm, dusty air and endless horns honking, dogs barking and noisy tractor engines driving by. Just steps away was the gate to the Samuha early intervention centre outside of Koppal, in rural South India. Overwhelmed and excited, I stepped inside the gate to a quiet refuge with plants, shade and therapy equipment. In 2015, I had the opportunity to go to Samuha as a physiotherapy student from UBC on practicum placement, which was an incredible experience that shaped my career as a physiotherapist in BC.
After a tour of the child development centre, where I was staying with the rest of the physiotherapy team, things started to feel familiar. The therapy equipment, the treatment plans and the families who were there advocating and caring for their children with disabilities. It was a centre where medical clinics were run, and educational classes functioned. I remember being impressed with the knowledge of the local community rehabilitation workers, the resourcefulness of the local fabricators making equipment and how far the limited resources could be stretched.
We held tightly onto the backs of motorbikes as we drove to home visits with shouts of “firangi!” (foreigner) following us and watched the rural farms pass, as we wove our way through traffic to the nearby Samuha spinal cord rehab centre. Fueled by spicy rice for breakfast and hot peppers for lunch, occasionally tempered by yoghurt or a cup of chai, I absorbed all I could while at Samuha. Nearly 10 years later, I am a physiotherapist practicing in Northern BC. From my many experiences at Samuha, I always have in the back of my mind how important access to care is for quality of life. I also constantly keep in mind that the most sustainable changes were brought on by the sharing of knowledge between patients, families, communities and practitioners. Small interventions made huge differences and it has made me a better practitioner in the varied rural settings I find myself now! I am proud to continue to support Samuha through my current role on the SODA board.