SCRANTON, Pa. — Dr. Chaitanya Rojulpote is a third-year resident in internal medicine with the Wright Center for Community Health in Scranton. Dr. Rojulpote says he loves his job and has twice taken what he knows and gone to serve people overseas.
His first humanitarian trip was last April, when he went to Poland to provide medical help for Ukrainian refugees.
"I saw these people fleeing the country. I felt like now I'm in a position where I can actually help people. I have enough medical knowledge to feel comfortable going and doing so. And it just felt right to do it."
When an earthquake hit Turkey last month, he jumped at the chance to help, taking time off work and using his own money to get there. It didn't take long for him to realize the dangers of what he was doing.
"The first night I was there was an actual earthquake, not an aftershock or a tremor. And so, the building I was in lost its structural integrity. After that, they closed it down," Dr. Rojulpote recalled. "It was pretty terrifying."
Dr. Rojulpote shared another story about a man he treated for a heart condition. His quick action and decisions helped save that man's life, and the man returned to thank him.
"The cardiologists told me, like you know, the meds you gave me at like 3:30, 4 in the morning, prevented a clot from forming in my heart, like you know, and essentially gave me the time to get medical help. And then got his medication from the other doctor. But yeah, and he came back and gave me a hug. So that was pretty refreshing."
Dr. Rojulpote will share more of those stories and his photos on April 11 in the auditorium of the Wright Center for Community Health Scranton practice.
"Perhaps someone in the crowd watches and says, 'Hey, I can go and help as well.' So, if it can evoke that in someone, then it's a success."
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