so today marks the official start of my medical elective in kathmandu..
and here i am now in an internet cafe at 11.45am..hahaha..wat a cruisy life..
so we officially start at 9.30am each morning..im starting on paed surgery and today is meant to be OT day but the anaesthetists are all away at a conference so no OT today..docs here work from sun to fri..strange timing..but we're taking wkends off so no work on sun for me..heehee..usually official hours end at 2 or 3 pm..very short hours compared to nz..the only trouble is it takes 45 mins for us to walk to the hospital..and walking in pollution is not very nice on the lungs..me and nish have started wearing masks to try and improve the air we breathe but they do get uncomfortable..
the hospital itself has very poor conditions..beds are rite next to each other..no privacy at all..the kids look really sick..and we've seen ppl boiling water and milk at the side..toilets here r disgusting..and there seems to be not much sense of hygiene..it's just amazing how conditions can be so poor here..
they dont even have the technology..most pregnant mothers wouldnt have an antenatal ultrasound scan so there r lots of kids with congenital defects..today on the surgical ward, there were already nearly 5 patients with anorectal malformations..and i only saw one case back in nz..
the smell within the hospital is also something i have to get used to..if only i could attach a smell with this entry..it's like a mixture of urine plus someone who hasnt had a shower for months..the majority of the ppl getting treatment are those who cant afford it..so dat kinda explains the mixed smells..
but yea it's been an interesting experience so far..i dont think we'll actually get to do anything here since we dont speak the language..but still, it's cool just to see medical cases dat we would never be able to see in nz..
tmr we're off to do more exploring..me and kiri are gonna go bungy jumping! dats if i dnt chicken out..but yea more medical exposure starting on mon..
1 comment:
Mooyin, its me Sas - hope u can still remember me. Nice of you to post and keep us informed of wat u r doing n also sharing wid us ur new learning experience.
Dis is indeed an invaluable eye-opener and i suppose it makes us realize not to take tings for granted n how fortunate we r. Exposure will b great - i suppose u'll get to do tings u will never get to do in nz, nyc and even in Sinagpore for dat matter. ur choice for elective - very brave but wise! hats off to u!
Been real bz since I came back. London has been freezing. kinda of warming up now. hope dat by de time u reach nyc it will be pleasant spring weather. my friends recently experienced 10-12 ins of snow in Manhattan - and it is so close to Spring. Many were snowed in. Freak weather dis year.
(dis is only fyi and for laughs - u kno JohnL3 now comes on as "Loratadine" - an allergy drug n he calls us anony-mouse(s)ha ha ha - now he is a drug! did he chase you to Kathmandu wid his camera - ha ha! No not obsessed - its jst so funny. last time i m posting abt him - don't intend to b a pharmacist - not interested in drugs - ha ha ha!)
Do keep us updated - i.e. all those who r following ur blog. No, i don't keep a blog - maybe i should start one.
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