Pacific Union College Serves Thousands of Patients in West Bengal, India

In one week, faculty and students from Pacific Union College (PUC), a Seventh-day Adventist school in Angwin, California, United States, and volunteer health professionals served more than 3,000 patients in Falakata, in West Bengal, India.

Biology professor Backil Sung planned the mission trip to that area, which is close to India’s border with Bhutan, for July 10-21. The goals were to treat patients with health issues and introduce them to Jesus’ love, and for students and volunteers to learn how better to practice God’s command to love others.

All to Heaven is Sung’s charity organization, which helps with PUC’s yearly mission trips. His organization raised around US$80,000, with $35,000 supplying medications and materials, and other assistance going to local transportation and meals for the mission trip. Another $37,000 was donated to construct a boys’ dormitory for a theology school and for scholarships; copies of the book The Great Controversy for students; and the donation of a dental chair at the clinic. The remaining $8,000 was reserved for next year’s mission trip.

“I was very impressed with Dr. Sung’s ability to organize and lead this international mission trip,” said Floyd Hayes, professor of biology. “His mission trips provide a tremendous opportunity for our students to participate in health care, and I hope that many will join him each summer.”

Joining Sung and Hayes were seven biology students from PUC; eight medical doctors specializing in general medicine, ophthalmology, physical medicine, and rehabilitation; eight dentists; one dental hygienist; five nurses; and one lab technician. The team also included medical and allied health professionals in an on-site clinic. 

The clinic on site was one of two where the teams were stationed. The first clinic was a fully equipped diagnostic facility with an X-ray and blood chemistry analyzer, where doctors and students saw patients who needed medical and dental work. The second site was in a community center in Jaigaon, West Bengal, close to the border of India and Bhutan. Medical and dental professionals provided attention for those who needed vital checkups, rehabilitation, medication, and reading glasses. In the dental clinic, they extracted and cleaned teeth and provided restorative treatment. 

With the abundance of people treated, they quickly reached capacity and carefully controlled the flow of patients. Student volunteers guided patients to specialist doctors. They also checked patients’ blood sugar and visual acuity and had the opportunity to practice medical and dental techniques with patients under the supervision of professionals. By joining this mission trip to India, PUC students learned to overcome some of the challenges presented by a different culture and environment. 

“The students were awesome!” Hayes said. “They were cheerful, worked very hard beside the health-care medical professionals, and enjoyed interacting with the volunteers and Indian people. I was proud of them all!”

Outside of treating patients, PUC volunteers worshiped with the local members, with Sung giving a sermon on the first Saturday (Sabbath) there. Students learned spiritual practice by joining morning devotion at 6:30 a.m., where speakers shared personal messages about their spiritual experience and the need to help others. 

Sung said he hopes his students see that mission work is God’s command. “If they understand God’s love, all the people will love God back and follow His command that we should help other people,” he said. “I want every PUC student … to learn the value of how important it is to help other people.” 

The original version of this story was posted on the Pacific Union College news site.