Journals
Posted on April 12, 2022 Story from India and something new this Spring!
Kristy Engel
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Provisions Podcast launches!

My friend and colleague, Melanie Baggao, and I have launched a new podcast called, Provisions. We have published our first episode explaining what we are doing with the podcast, who our first guest will be, and why we think it is so important. You can sign up for the email announcements of new episodes by clicking this link:

Sign me up!

You may be new to podcasts or only know a little bit about them, so let me explain a bit for those who are curious. A podcast is a recorded conversation, story, news piece, or broadcast about a specific topic. You can listen to those recordings through podcast apps like Apple, Spotify, and Google. You can also listen to them online if you do not want to download an app on your phone or computer. The advantage of the app on a smart phone, though, is that you can save episodes to listen while you drive, workout, or take a walk.

The Provisions podcast is a fun and informative way to learn about people, food, and the things that bind us together more than separate us. It’s a chance to meet some of Melanie’s and my friends from around the world, that you might not otherwise meet. It’s also a chance to come around a “virtual table” and enjoy each other’s company.

One of the fun things about the Provisions podcast is that you could actually join us LIVE during the recording so that you can virtually meet these friends and ask some questions. Each month, before the recording session, subscribers will learn about the upcoming episode and receive some recipes from and information about our guest. When you sign up for the emails, you will also have access to the Zoom link to join our guest on the call! Another good reason to sign up.

I won’t tell you much more because I really want you to listen to the podcast and join us with our first guest in the next few weeks. If you’d like to listen to the first podcast before signing up, here are links to the podcast on Apple and Spotify and we hope to see you at the table!

 

Provisions on Apple Podcasts

 

Provisions on Spotify

 

Mrs. Emina Momin (the famous nurse of Babupara Christian Hospital)

My friend and colleague, Dr. John Sangma (left), Medical Director at two Christian Hospitals in India, recently sent me the story about one of his most famous (locally!) nurses: Mrs. Emina Momin (third from left). It was such an inspiring story that I felt I must share it with you, too. Read below to learn more about this famous, and untiring servant in her community!

Emina, as I know her…

The past is packed with women who made incredible contributions to history and yet are often overlooked by the public. As I visited Babupara Christian Hospital for the first time to start my relationship with my brethren in this area, I met Sister Emina Ch Momin, an active lady who cannot stay idle and is always on the move. The Lord showed me a lady with whom I am working for more than a decade now.

Emina is a mother of three with a supportive husband to take care of the family together. This lady has been supporting me to bring up the Babupara Christian Hospital from what it was ten years back. Born on 25th Nov 1965 to a loving couple, Mr Melwin S Sangma and Mrs Torani Ch Momin, she was the eldest to her siblings of 2 brothers & 3 sisters.

After her schooling from Nisangram, she left for Tura Christian Hospital to pursue her studies in ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) course in the year March 1985, under the able guidance of Dr Delphine Momin the Gynaecologist, Mrs Rosalin Marak, the Nursing Superintendent, and Mrs Hepzibah Sangma, the Tutor. She returned to Nisangram where she started to practice whatever she learned from Tura Christian Hospital. She was inducted in the Krima No 1 (a local Baptist association and region in NE India) as a nurse to deliver her services to the needy villagers. Thus, she started her career as a nurse in Babupara Christian Hospital. She saw many a doctor coming and going as none did stick so long, but she stuck on against all odds, sometimes all alone, sometimes with only a watchman to accompany her when she goes for door to door visits to take care of some ailing patient, be it a bright day or the dark night. Many mothers in this region can, with gratitude, testify that Emina was the nurse to assist in the delivery of their child and many young ladies and young gentlemen would be thankful that because of her, they are now growing and enjoying their life.

When she started working with me and was taught the technique of the Vacuum Cleaner Delivery, taken from the famous Bollywood movie, the “3 IDIOTS”, the delivery procedure was very much simplified as it did assist profoundly along with the availability of few necessary medicines which boosted her already acquired confidence. Thus, the number of assisted normal deliveries grew gradually to an astounding one thousand plus. This is quite the opposite in the urban centres, where the government is struggling to bring up the number of the normal deliveries as the caesarean sections far exceeds the normal deliveries.

Emina is not only good at conducting deliveries but she is also good at managing a small clinic set up. Tooth extraction, incision & drainage, giving injections and wound care are the art one can learn from her. Not only that, now that our small clinic is in the process of growth she used to assist me to get manpower and materials during days of crisis. One has to just name a problem and Bingo…!!! she is there with a solution… Good cook is also there in her books, as she was the person who would provide the delicious Garo dish to the hungry tummies. [Garo is a local indigenous group]

Now that our Emina is aging gracefully, its high time that some nurses interested in providing their services to the needy should come up to learn from her and continue the service, thus lifting up Babupara Christian Hospital to a higher level because there is so much to learn from Sister Emina…

It’s a great asset for Babupara Christian Hospital to have Sister Emina and we are thankful to Krima No 1 for sending and supporting the hospital in a mighty way that we can keep growing only for our Lord.

– Dr John Ritchi N Sangma
Medical Superintendent In-charge, Babupara Christian Hospital