Your generous donation helps to save and change lives every day.
Your charitable investment will go toward ongoing global relief to care for the underserved and vulnerable people of this community. As a member of this medical mission team, you will elevate the long-term impact of sustainable, capacity-building efforts that improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those most in need.
Overview
The Need
India is the world’s second most populous country, and despite a well-trained and functional health care system, the country still faces significant public health issues. Sanitation, overcrowding, and poverty all contribute to illness, especially among the poor. In 2018, India reported about a 29.9% infant mortality rate. India also still faces several gender health disparities, where women are more vulnerable to different health risks.
Join International Medical Relief (IMR) in providing quality medical care for communities within and surrounding Kolkata. The team will care for those with the greatest need for medical attention. Our clinics are nestled among the throwback of centuries old traditions in eastern India. Engage with this culture first-hand as you provide greatly needed medical care to the densely inhabited communities. Those left out of the medical system will not only get medical attention, but will also be given needed education to help them survive in places where healthcare is difficult to access.
Our Work
International Medical Relief began relief efforts in India in 2011 and has since served 16,000 patients with 430 IMR staff and volunteers. IMR continues to provide sustainable health care through education initiatives towards the communities we serve. Some of the educational sessions that were provided include the following: clean water, dehydration/rehydration, malnutrition, family planning, oral health, respiratory diseases, malaria prevention and hygiene/hand washing.
With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 17.
IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing.
In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.
This Mission
Kolkata was the capital city of India during the British ruling empire. On your tour, stroll down the streets of old Calcutta to The Raj Bhaven (home of the Indian governor) and Calcutta High Court (oldest in India). You will get up close to the world-famous River Ganga and the Howrah suspension bridge that connects Howrah to Kolkata. This river played a great role in the history of Asian exploration.
According to the World Health Organization, India is recording very high infant mortality and a high death rate due to malaria from improper diagnosis, treatment and care. It is imperative for IMR to continue to help the people in India and overcome these health conditions.
You can expect to see many respiratory conditions, including lower respiratory infections. Diarrheal diseases and accompanying dehydration are common and the fourth most common cause of death. Chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, and asthma will be common. Many patients are undiagnosed and your diagnosis will be of great importance to their future health; education is the first line of treatment for many of these patients.
From a public health perspective, unsafe drinking water in urban and rural areas is the primary concern. Tobacco, alcohol, accidental and self-inflicted injury, and nutritional problems are also significant public health issues.
Lodging/Transportation
On this Signature trip, you will be staying in a luxurious hotel with many upscale amenities. The food is wonderful, with a choice of two restaurants on site for dinner and a traditional breakfast served each morning.
Transportation to and from clinic will be provided each day.
Highlights
The lasting connections that you make with the people of Kolkata within and out of clinic will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip.
Throughout the week you will get to walk in the humble footsteps Mother Teresa walked for so many years where you will serve the most poor and needy. Visit College Street with its hundreds of book stores, see St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Victoria Memorial, built for Queen Victoria who never made the three-month-long journey to see it. Experience the Indian markets full of local Bengali spices and foods, or try your hand at modeling a Saree with its yards of colorful, flowing fabric.
Extend Your Stay
Since you are already venturing across the globe, have you considered extending your stay by a few days to see some of the top tourist destinations around Delhi? IMR offers an exclusive three-day extension to its volunteers provided by our partner, Worldwide Navigators.
Worldwide Navigators offers a fantastic opportunity to continue your trip and explore off the beaten path, giving you more time to see the sights in India.
Highlights include:
- Discover the world-renowned Taj Mahal, learning the history and magic at every turn
- Explore the winding streets of Old & New Delhi, and uncover what makes this city tick
- Visit the historical Humayun’s Tomb
See the Extensions tab on this page for details on this amazing experience!
Itinerary at a Glance
Arrivals
Orientation & Training
Clinic
Clinic
Clinic
Clinic
Departures
Please View Full Itinerary in the Next Tab
Sustainable Impact
Your Journey
Clinic Photos
Gallery
Full Itinerary
This itinerary is subject to change without notice.
You will need to arrange your flight destination to be Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) in Kolkata. If you need assistance booking flights, please contact Worldwide Navigators, our preferred travel agency, at travel@worldwidenavigators.com. You may also choose to arrange transportation from the airport to your accommodation, which you may purchase from within your portal under Trip Add-Ons.
Arrivals
You and the rest of your volunteer team will fly into the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India. The required time for you to arrive in Kolkata is 2:00pm. Upon arrival, your team will have the chance to participate in traditional rituals of the Hindu culture with gestures and gifts. A traditional sacred Bindi will be placed on women’s foreheads as a symbol of long life. This iconic red and orange dot is placed in the center of your forehead. All team members will receive a local greeting of a floral wreath necklace. Welcome to India!
You will transfer to your hotel to get settled in before meeting up with the rest of your team for a team dinner.
Meals: Dinner,
Orientation & Training
Wake up for an early breakfast before your first day begins. After breakfast, your team leader will lead an orientation to assign roles for the clinic, present IMR’s clinic protocols, and provide an overview of the communities your team will serve.
In the afternoon, you and your team will provide training for local healthcare providers to continue IMR’s long-term, sustainable education efforts. Education is as important as medical and dental care for our patients. Each clinic includes basic health education according to the specialties and skills of the IMR volunteers, as well as the needs of the local people. When communities become empowered to take health and wellness issues into their own hands, they become self-sufficient. IMR provides learning opportunities for the local communities through classes and hands-on learning to sustain their well-being beyond our visit.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Clinic
After a hearty local breakfast, you will meet with the other volunteers assigned to your clinic. You will assist and connect with many families that live in and around Kolkata. IMR’s work in the communities is conducted in collaboration with local organizational partners including two mobile medical units and our sustainability partnership with the regional health system of Kolkata.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Clinic
You can expect to see many respiratory conditions, including lower respiratory infections during your clinic week. Diarrheal diseases and accompanying dehydration are common and the fourth most common cause of death. Chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, and asthma will be common. Many patients are undiagnosed and your diagnosis will be of great importance to their future health; education is the first line of treatment for many of these patients.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Clinic
Clinic will begin early in the morning and run into the evening. When you return to your hotel each evening, you can expect to attend a team debrief followed by an excellent team dinner and much-needed downtime.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Clinic
Today is your last day of clinic! You will leave India full of narratives from families that live in and around Kolkata and the experiences you had during this trip.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Departures
On your last day in India, you and your team will enjoy an incredible farewell breakfast. After breakfast, you will have a short amount of time to explore and purchase gifts for your friends back home. The traditional Hindu goodbye is given by the word Namaste. From our home-away-from-home to you, we bid you farewell and safe travels on your journey.
Interested in extending your stay to explore northern India? Our partner, Worldwide Navigators, offers exclusive trip extensions just for IMR volunteers! See the extensions tab on this page for details.
Meals: Breakfast,
Your Journey
Clinic Photos
Extension Photos
Extensions
You’re journeying across the globe. Why not extend your stay in India to experience some of its top tourist attractions? Join us on an exclusive trip extension and visit some of the area’s highlights.
Delhi, India Extension
Highlights:
- Discover the world-renowned Taj Mahal, learning the history and magic at every turn
- Explore the winding streets of Old & New Delhi, and uncover what makes this city tick
- Visit the historic Humayun’s Tomb
Itinerary:
Day 1: New Delhi
Welcome to New Delhi! During your stay in this lively city, you will enjoy some of the area’s top spots such as:
Humayun’s Tomb (First Garden Tomb)
A UNESCO World Heritage site. The tomb was built in 1565 by Hamida Banu Begum and is one of the most beautiful Mughal monuments, with a 42.5-meters high double dome with marble and pillared kiosks. The complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun and the graves of his wife, Hamida Begum, and numerous other subsequent Mughals.
Lotus Temple (Unified House of Worship)
Known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, it was designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba. It serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent and emphasizes the spirit of the House of Worship in that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship. The lotus represents the Manifestation of God and is also a symbol of purity and tenderness. Its significance is deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the Indians.
India Gate (War Memorial)
Built in 1931 and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, this 42-meter-high stone arch of victory stands at the eastern end of Rajpath. It lists the names of the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War.
Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House)
Rashtrapati Bhavan was the erstwhile residence of the British Viceroy. Its architect was Edwin Landseer Lutyens. The decision to build a residence in New Delhi for the British Viceroy was taken after it was decided in the Delhi Durbar of 1911 that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in the same year. It was constructed to affirm the permanence of British rule in India. This building gave the impression, in the words of a critique, the setting of a perpetual Durbar.
Day 2: Agra | Taj Mahal
You will travel to Agra today for a tour of the magnificent, white marble mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal
This immense mausoleum is constructed of white marble and was built in the mid-1600s by order of the emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Nothing compares with the experience of seeing the Taj for the first time. Commissioned by Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, Mumtaz, after her death in 1631, it was completed in 1653 and remains arguably the most moving testament to love in architectural history.
Red Fort of Agra
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.
Day 3: Old Delhi | Departure Home
Old Delhi is bursting with bazaars, which are good places to begin your exploration of the area. Before heading to the airport for your departure home, be sure to check out some of Old Delhi’s staples:
Chandni Chowk
The markets seem to sell everything, though textiles, clothing, jewelry, and antiques comprise the bulk of the wares. The goings-on at Chandni Chowk, one of the oldest and most iconic markets, will spark the interest of even the most jaded traveler.
Jama Masjid (the mosque commanding a view of the world)
The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, commissioned its construction. Five thousand craftsmen labored for six years to build the mosque. Completed in the year 1656 C.E., Jama Masjid constitutes one of the largest and best-known mosques in India. Shah Jahan enhanced the imposing grandeur of the edifice by placing it on high ground.
What’s Included:
- 3-Day, 2-Night Tour
- Ground Transportation
- 2.5 to 3-Star Accommodations
- Daily Activities & Excursions
- 2 Meals Per Day
- Tours & Entrance Fees
- Daytime Tour Guide
- 24-Hour Emergency Service
You Will Need to Provide:
- Customary Gratuities
- Travel Insurance
- Personal Souvenirs/Gifts
- Currency Exchange Fees
3-Day, 2-Night All-Inclusive Tour Starts at $600. Contact Worldwide Navigators to book this extension or get more information.
Minimum Donation
Your generous donation of $3300 will go toward the ongoing global relief to care for the underserved and vulnerable people of this community. As a member of this medical mission team, you will elevate the long-term impact of sustainable, capacity-building efforts that improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those most in need. A small portion of your donation includes:
- Clinic supplies and medications for patients
- Clinic participation
- Transportation, accommodations, and meals as outlined in the itinerary
Donation Payment Deadlines
$3100 due by October 2, 2023
$3300 due by December 3, 2023
Early Bird Savings Opportunity
To be eligible, the participant must upload ALL your required documents and forms, sign their liability form and make your 50% donation including your $35 application fee by October 2, 2023. This savings opportunity does not apply to disaster relief missions.
Featured Enhancements
**To purchase any of the above Featured Enhancements for your mission, please contact our office at office@imrus.org or call at (970) 635-0110.
Your Donation to IMR for Your Mission Cost Includes:
All group costs from the time you arrive at the team meeting point in country until you separate from the team or when the team arrives at the departure airport, including:
- Transportation
- Lodging
- Costs associated with the clinic
- Food
- Tips for services provided to the IMR team
- All logistics, including translation services and security as needed
Additional Costs That You Are Responsible For:
All group costs from the time you arrive at the team meeting point in country until you separate from the team or when the team arrives at the departure airport, including:
- International and Domestic flights to the country.
- Passport fees, visa fees, and transit fees, including baggage or overnight accommodations/meals while in transit
- Required or recommended insurance
- Vaccinations and medications common for travel
- Spending money for souvenirs and personal purchases
- Required or desired mission supplies, personal equipment, or small gifts for the special people you meet
- Any lodging, meals, and transportation outside of the scheduled team mission, payable at the time of service to the local vendor
- COVID-related fees such as testing, vaccinations, and quarantines as required by in-country arrival/departure or USA arrival/departure
- Each team member is responsible for carrying medical supplies for the deployment. All fees associated with transport are the responsibility of the volunteer.
Financial FAQs
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A Walk Through Clinic
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