Posted on 3 March, 2015

Thank you everybody for another successful and exceptionally productive Myanmar trip. Behind the scenes, there are the medical companies who donate, there are the logistics people like Megan Townend and Michael Were in the office. Then there is the Project Coordinator, Chris Waite, who is always whinging about needing a pay rise.You guys are all appreciated!

When back in Australia, it is sometimes difficult to explain to another, who may have money as their only value of success, how good it feels to be an Open Heart International volunteer on one of these trips. For those volunteers, that return every year, I can say, we love Myanmar, and we love its’ people. We enjoy engaging further and deeper in friendly relationship with the Burmese people, while at the same time, with one another. I continually observe the volunteers busily sharing their skills with the local practitioners, who will in future pass those skills on to other locals. The good achieved today by an Open Heart International volunteer will be magnified in years to come.

Now enjoy some pictures and commentary.

myanmarkidteam
Right picture: Paediatric ICU Nurses, Kiraka Nakazawa and Jane Healy, with paint and local nurses.

.groupchild

Left picture: Group pic at Military Hospital including all the physiotherapists on trip.

patientobservation

Right photo: Paediatric Anaesthetist,Crawford and Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Yishay Orr inspect an x-ray with Burmese Cardiac Surgeon.

localkidthumbsup
Left picture: Child cardiac patient taking her oral medicine.Right picture: Medicine is good!

grouppicbusystreets
Left picture: Pay attention Marchus! Radiographer Marcus Silberry, front row right enjoying his first trip to Yangon. Right photo: Kerriann Cox thinks its a bonus to work at Yangon General Hospital because on the markets on are on the way! From Left, Kerriann Cox, and Christina Darwell, Sally Wajon, and Hannah Coffey) about to engage in a bit of shopping therapy.
ridetaxi
Left picture: Sometimes we come to work in an ambulance. Right picture:Sometimes we come to work in the back of a ute.

brucepaintersbuilding
Left photo: Sometimes an original and brilliant thinker can seem downright wacky!OHI Cardiologist, Bruce Bastian at dinner one night, eating his first course on an upside down plate.He then turns the same plate over for the following course. Go figure…

Right photos: Speaking of wacky, it’s one of the reasons I love going to Myanmar. Some sights you will never see in Australia.Got to love the courage of these local painters, up high on bamboo scaffolding, with 20 litre buckets of paint, and no safety harnesses. Remember the climate is hot also.

Tags:  Myanmar,