Working in the shadows of the Himalayas

Namaste everyone,

We had a big thunderstorm here last night – resulting in several team members getting soaked to their skin as they walked up the hill to the hotel after work. But apart from that the rain was very appreciated – because the mountains stood out this morning! We could see the majestic Himalayas from our hotel. I will never get tired of seeing the sunrise over the Himalayas, and those that came to work a little later in the morning were treated to a full display of their glory. It is one of those magical things that makes Nepal such a wonderful place to come to. We are very blessed to have this opportunity.

In my last update I spoke about our Nepali Nurses’ Council registration – well the doctors blitzed their Medical Council interviews as well and we are now all registered to work here! This means we have to work in Nepal under stricter conditions in terms of visas and medical/nursing registrations. This has required an enormous effort on the part of the staff of the Scheer Memorial Hospital, ADRA Nepal and Open Heart International. So it is nice to finally have everything in place.

We have now assessed 102 patients and almost have our theatre lists full. We have some very busy days ahead but everyone is committed to helping as many of these women as we can. One lady we saw today with a uterine prolapse had delivered 13 live children, but only 4 survived – its stories like that that make us even more determined to help. Another patient we saw on the first day did not need surgery as she only had a minor problem, but she needs treatment for a chest infection and needs other tests as well. The family are from far way away and cannot afford to pay for any tests or hospitalisation so we are helping out. When you understand that the cost for a day in hospital here is probably less that $6 Australian, you understand how poor these people are.

Another challenging day today resulting in a late finish in theatre – an extraordinary effort from the team. Gearing up for another big day tomorrow.