Go Away With … Gino Strada

By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Media Services
February 19, 2013

Dr. Gino Strada is the founder of EMERGENCY, a global organization that brings free health care to war-torn countries. Strada is featured in the film “Open Heart,” which is nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject at this year’s Academy Awards. The film follows eight Rwandan children who travel to Sudan for life-saving open-heart surgery. Strada, 64, resides in Khartoum, Sudan, where he spends at least nine months each year working at the Salam Center for Cardiac Surgery. For more information, check out the EMERGENCY website or follow Strada on Twitter.

Q. How did your travels affect your decision to found EMERGENCY?

A. As soon as you see how many people in the world live in so-called poor countries, you can’t pretend that everything is OK and go on with your routine. EMERGENCY was born on this awareness and shared with friends and colleagues.

Q. What would people find surprising about Sudan?

A. The great collaboration when facilitating patients to come from all over Africa to enter the country to be operated on at the Salam Centre for cardiac surgery. Our patients come from over 24 African countries! On the tourist side, the Nubian pyramids of Meroe are incredible. It is truly an amazing archaeological site.

Q. What have you learned from you travels?

A. I learned how important it is to know how other people really live. We should be aware of all the nuances and cultures that exist in the world.

Q. What are your five favorite cities?

A. Venice, Rome, Kabul before the war, San Francisco and New York City.

Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?

A. In the last 30 years, I’ve traveled a lot to very many places, but always for my work as a surgeon. I’ve been in the main theaters of war over the last years: Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda and Afghanistan. … Fortunately, they don’t remind me of home. And, unfortunately, they are home for many people.

Q. Which place would you like to revisit?

A. I would love to go to a peaceful Afghanistan. The first time I went there was about 25 years ago. There was war, and now it has become worse and worse in the last years.

Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A. Because my trips are mostly to work at EMERGENCY hospitals, I have to do ample research before the trips, and generally they are focused on the current political and social situations.

Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A. I’m not used to a weekend getaway. When I’m in Italy, I spend my time at home in Venice or Milan, which is the headquarters of EMERGENCY in Italy.

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. Venice, the town where I actually reside. It’s a wonderful city that flourishes on the exchanges between people.

Q. To someone going to Venice for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?

A. If someone were to visit Venice, I would tell them to take their time to hang around outside the most known touristic track. You can easily take a street, arrive to a square and be in the midst of the hustle and bustle. Sit down, take an ombra (a glass of wine) and feast your eyes on what you see!

Q. What are your favorite hotels?

A. I have no favorite hotel, because I actually always love staying with friends or family when I travel. There is nothing like experiencing a city through the eyes of people who actually live there.

Q. What are your must-have travel items?

A. Two of my must-have items when I am traveling are books and time. I don’t ever want to be without a good book and I like to have the time and space to explore and expand my horizons.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?

A. Good restaurants. I love having a great meal with friends.

Q. What are your favorite restaurants?

A. I love to eat at fish restaurants all over the world. Since I haven’t been on a real vacation in a long time, I can’t remember the actual names of the restaurants. But I always have a joyous time having a great seafood meal with friends.

Q. What is your best travel memory?

A. Going to the Lofoten Islands in Norway. The nature was absolutely incredible, and something I will never forget.

Q. What untapped destination should people know about?

A. I’d prefer to keep it untapped.

 

© 2013 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.