India
After almost twenty years of activity in Africa, in 2015 GICAM chose to extend its projects to other areas of the world, starting a new collaboration in India.
The first mission took place at the Julia Hospital in Jamkhed, in the state of Maharashtra, in central-western India, in collaboration with the Canadian NGO Freedom from Poverty Foundation (www.ffpf.org).
The collaboration with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), the Foundation that runs the Hospital, consolidated and since then, GICAM organises annual camps focused on hand surgery, orthopaedics and reconstructive microsurgery to serve the most vulnerable rural communities.
In 2024, a partnership was formed in the state of Goa, with Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), one of the oldest and most recognised academic and healthcare institutions in Southeast Asia. Besides offering specialised medical services, the collaboration includes the organisation of courses and training activities for local healthcare professionals to strengthen the healthcare system.
Julia Hospital, Jamkhed - State of Maharashtra
Since 2015, GICAM has been actively collaborating with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) in Jamkhed, Maharashtra, organizing surgical missions on average four times a year. These missions involve a multidisciplinary team of health professionals from different countries, combining expertise in hand surgery, orthopaedics and reconstructive microsurgery.
In addition to providing specialised surgical care, GICAM has contributed significantly to the strengthening of the hospital's facilities by donating essential medical equipment and materials. This support has helped improve the quality of services offered, making the hospital a point of reference for surgical care in the region.
The collaboration with CRHP goes beyond the clinical aspect: through an integrated approach to health and community development, GICAM participates in strengthening the local health system, helping to make health care more accessible and sustainable for the most vulnerable rural communities. The activities carried out have had a concrete impact in reducing inequalities in access to care and in promoting lasting well-being.
Julia Hospital has 50 beds, three operating rooms, a laboratory, a maternity ward and an intensive care unit. It serves a rural population of about 500,000 people, offering low-cost secondary care, emergency services and ongoing care. In this context, each mission represents a concrete opportunity to strengthen local capacities and generate positive changes in the long term.
