This healthcare sector faces great challenges in Kashmir; although the doctors are highly trained, the hospitals are struggling to provide adequate healthcare to their patients. KashmirCorps hopes to utilize the talents of current physicians, medical school or pre-med students, and those interested in public health or health-related fields to advance healthcare in the region.

Much of the emphasis on healthcare will be on Mental Health. Because of the ongoing conflict, people in Kashmir suffer from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is a very important and often overlooked field in the region and we expect our service participants to spend their time either conducting research or engaging in actual clinical work with mental health clinics. KashmirCorps also seeks to aid the women who are in the poorly trained Maternity wards. Finally, we hope to bring together the Kashmiri expatriate community of medical professionals who visit the region in the summer and urge them to give a few hours of their time each week to work with local hospitals and conduct medical procedures for free to those in Kashmir who are unable to pay for surgeries or other medical procedures.

If you are interested in coordinating a program or volunteering in the healthcare sector, please contact Hafsa Kanjwal at hafsa.kanjwal@gmail.com