Club Meeting, Haemophilia Care in Kerala - Tuesday 17th September 2019.

   

On Tuesday 17th September 2019, Morpeth Camera Club were very pleased to welcome Paul Murphy who is a chief
healthcare scientist based at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. He explained that the North East Haemophilia
Centre had joined the World Federation of Haemophilia’s 4-year twinning programme to help improve diagnosis and
treatment in the town of Aluva, Kerala, in South India. Together with other experts from the Newcastle Upon Tyne
NHS Foundation Trust they went out to Aluva, and this evening was a photographic documentation not only of his
visits to the clinic but also images from his travels in India.

He began with a PowerPoint presentation which provided details of the infrastructure of the country, statistics of
registered and estimated undiagnosed patients, genetic factors and charts explaining details of blood coagulation.
From his first visit in 2017 we saw images of the clinic, its staff who were mainly Christian medics and nuns, child
patients being taught home therapy and self infusion, play therapy sessions and activities in the physiotherapy room.
He went on to explain symptoms, which were graphically illustrated, of patients with recurrent joint of muscle swelling
caused by bleeding.

During their rare leisure periods we were taken photographically on a journey through the town with scenes of bustling
street life, traffic, graffiti, colourful markets and traders, and ladies in vibrantly coloured saris. A rural visit to the 80
feet high Athirappilly Falls followed on to the seaside area of Fort Kochi, with its shrines, spice markets with incense
sticks and potions, decorated trucks and elaborate bamboo fishing nets at Fort Kochi Beach. The town took on a very
different dimension at night, with atmospheric images of street food vendors and fish markets. These images contrasted
dramatically with their stopover in Dubai where Paul illustrated the culture shock of modern affluence with photographs
of high rise blocks which exuded an aura of prosperity and opulence.

In 2018 three of the staff from India paid a visit to the World Federation of Haemophilia Congress at the SEC in Glasgow,
after which Paul’s team took them to the Newcastle centre, a visit to Alnwick Castle, Brinkburn Priory and the Newcastle
Quayside which must also have been a culture shock for their visitors.

On a return visit to India in 2018, following the monsoon, we saw the devastating consequences of flooding throughout
the region. But happily this visit produced photographs of the newly funded state level training camp, more organised
clinics, improved consultation and documentation training, networking and demonstrations of methods of treatment.
Away from the clinic Paul also captured colourful images of churches, schools, temple drummers, fishermen, medicinal
spices and reclamation shops full of old artefacts. An extended return visit to Dubai, gave the team time enjoy and take
photographs of the Old Town and Creek with its dhows and water taxis. His images of dazzling gold displays in the gold
souk, and vibrantly coloured sari silks and spices, captured the city in glorious opulence.

Throughout his presentation Paul included interesting facts relating to this condition; that there is only one haemophilia
centre to support 38.4m people and that it not only destroys the joints it sometimes leads to gangrene and amputation.
He stated that also as part of their mission, they had to meet with local politicians who had the power of sponsorship
which required a great deal of diplomacy. A short Q & A session followed which revealed that although there was a caste
system in place, it was not oppressive, that private hospitals were not involved in this process as the wealthier were able
to travel abroad for treatment and that, in between visits, the twin centres keep in contact via email, telephone and the
team holds regular Skype teleconferences with the centre to enable case by case discussions. The passion for his work
was very evident throughout his presentation and it was certainly an eye opener for those who assumed that Haemophilia
was a rare condition.

Club member Dave Atkinson then gave a vote of thanks for a very interesting and informative evening, after which
coffee was served.

Steph.