Dr Abraham Thomas visited the UK from 10th to 17th May 2013. During his stay he gave seven talks to various audiences. His primary purpose for coming was to attend the Open Day of Friends of Ludhiana on 11th May which was held in Gerrards Cross. We are very grateful to Dr Reg Britt who made all the local arrangements, ably supported by his close family.
Dr Thomas spoke twice during the Open Day. In his first talk he gave an excellent review of the history of the Christian Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana bringing us right up to date with recent developments in the institution. In his second talk he introduced us to ways in which he felt Friends of Ludhiana could help and support CMCH.
After the Open Day, Dr Thomas travelled to Birmingham. While there he spoke in the Sunday morning service at St John’s Harborne and in the afternoon spoke to a small group of local members of the Christian Medical Fellowship. On the 13th May he gave two talks at the QE Hospital in Birmingham where injured servicemen and women from Afghanistan are treated. One talk was given to the lunchtime hospital meeting and the other to the plastic and reconstructive surgery group.
Later that day Dr Thomas travelled to Amersham and on 14th May he visited the Royal College of Surgeons in London where he had a personal invitation to view the Hunterian Exhibition. He then moved on to Sussex and on 16th May he was the guest speaker at the McIndoe Centre at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead where he talked about some of the unique developments in reconstructive surgery that had been made in CMCH Ludhiana. This was followed by a personal tour of this hospital which was made famous by the McIndoe ‘guinea pigs’.
Dr Thomas left the UK on 17th May to fly back to Ludhiana via Delhi. He had been very pleased with the response to his visit but returned home feeling quite exhausted after his tiring schedule.