By – Sainath D Yerbale
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA ) at St. Martinus University completed a clothing drive on December 11, 2025. The event benefited a charity named Salú pa Tur, which is a non-profit organization that offers free medical services for underprivileged families and uninsured migrants in Curaçao. As medical students, we believe that serving a community goes beyond a medical facility, and thus we wanted to make a generous impact. This initiative allowed us to actively practice empathy, engage with the community we aim to serve, and reflect on the social responsibilities inherent to the medical profession. Even small acts of support can have a meaningful impact, and it is rewarding to know we can play a part in improving someone’s wellbeing.
Akhila Mushini (President), Shrom Bidarkar (Advocacy Officer), Aditi Kulkarni (Finance Officer), and Meghana Kalahasthi (Membership Officer) led the AMSA executive team to coordinate a drive with the help of Dr. Mendoza, Dean of Student Affairs. In addition to AMSA’s executive team, there were student volunteers involved, including Jagdish More, Alen Binu Thomas, Melina Daher, and Sainath D. Yerbale, who also assisted in this event. To encourage students and faculty to donate used or new articles of clothing, the team placed donation boxes at various locations around campus, clearly labeled and containing the types of donations being sought (e.g., tops, bottoms, shoes, etc.) as well as several additional types of items.
Today, undergraduate student representatives from AMSA and Salu pa Tur gathered at St. Martinus University to formally hand over the collected donations to the Salu pa Tur team. Supporting their ongoing work in chronic disease management, pediatric care, pregnancy monitoring, limited secondary care services and the distribution of essential goods.
SMU and AMSA student efforts are directed toward supporting organisations like Salú pa Tur, which provides vital free healthcare services. Engaging with their mission reinforces our awareness of the disparities in healthcare access and quality—a critical perspective for our future practice as physicians. Through action, we hope not only to assist but also to deepen our commitment to equitable and compassionate care.
