Third world hospital
Having had the opportunity to spend a short while in a hospital in Nepal I can be sure when I say that if I had become ill whilst out there I would have flown home for treatment. On the day the others on the same placement started they were given a talk by the president of the hospital who mentioned that he hoped that at some point in the not too distant future they would be able to offer surgery for medical tourists. That is, people from other countries would pay to go and be treated there.
Well it only took about an hour for all of us to realise that his plan may have been a little far fetched. The standards were so far behind what is the norm and what we have come to expect in the west that it was a little shocking. All of the doctors in Nepal speak fluent English and have completed their MBBS which is the same medical degree I have from the UK. The Library even contained the same books, though several editions behind what we use here. However hygiene standards and doctor patient consultations allowed for vast improvement. The mixed male/female wards had no curtains between the metal beds and any screens were woefully inadequate, often not shielding the patient at all. Any adjustments to the bed positions were done using bricks and patients appeared to have brought a lot of their own bedding from home. I only very occasionally saw a doctor or nurse wash their hands and gloves were a rarity.
Medical discussions often took place in English and all the medical notes were written in English however I didn't once see a doctor on a ward round take the time to explain to a patient what was happening and include them in any decision making process. If the patient couldn't understand what was going on this would mean they would have no idea what was wrong or how they would be treated. Having said that I also never saw any patient complain. It was what they seemed to expect and they trusted the doctors rather than question them.
The outpatients department was another thing all together. There are no GP's in Nepal so patients go to the hospital for all sorts of ailments. However there also seems to be no queue system in Nepal either. The outpatients rooms often consisted of a doctor and an intern surrounded by patients jostling to be seen next. This of course means that everyone could hear the consultation taking place and see any examination being carried out. So much for privacy!
Perhaps the most shocking thing I saw was when I spent time on the gynaecology ward. A lady had become very sick with an infection. Yet again there was only a screen to shield her from other patients, and I'm sure you can imagine that it wouldn't stretch around the 16 doctors, nurses and students. That's right 16! I counted! So in full view of the gaggle of observers and the rest of the patients on the ward, and anyone who happened to be passing in the corridor the lady was given a gynae examination. However during the examination the consultants mobile phone rang, and she answered it. In this country the situation would probably lead to a court appearance, and quite rightly!
The whole experience made me realise how lucky I am to have trained and to live in the west.
Well it only took about an hour for all of us to realise that his plan may have been a little far fetched. The standards were so far behind what is the norm and what we have come to expect in the west that it was a little shocking. All of the doctors in Nepal speak fluent English and have completed their MBBS which is the same medical degree I have from the UK. The Library even contained the same books, though several editions behind what we use here. However hygiene standards and doctor patient consultations allowed for vast improvement. The mixed male/female wards had no curtains between the metal beds and any screens were woefully inadequate, often not shielding the patient at all. Any adjustments to the bed positions were done using bricks and patients appeared to have brought a lot of their own bedding from home. I only very occasionally saw a doctor or nurse wash their hands and gloves were a rarity.
Medical discussions often took place in English and all the medical notes were written in English however I didn't once see a doctor on a ward round take the time to explain to a patient what was happening and include them in any decision making process. If the patient couldn't understand what was going on this would mean they would have no idea what was wrong or how they would be treated. Having said that I also never saw any patient complain. It was what they seemed to expect and they trusted the doctors rather than question them.
The outpatients department was another thing all together. There are no GP's in Nepal so patients go to the hospital for all sorts of ailments. However there also seems to be no queue system in Nepal either. The outpatients rooms often consisted of a doctor and an intern surrounded by patients jostling to be seen next. This of course means that everyone could hear the consultation taking place and see any examination being carried out. So much for privacy!
Perhaps the most shocking thing I saw was when I spent time on the gynaecology ward. A lady had become very sick with an infection. Yet again there was only a screen to shield her from other patients, and I'm sure you can imagine that it wouldn't stretch around the 16 doctors, nurses and students. That's right 16! I counted! So in full view of the gaggle of observers and the rest of the patients on the ward, and anyone who happened to be passing in the corridor the lady was given a gynae examination. However during the examination the consultants mobile phone rang, and she answered it. In this country the situation would probably lead to a court appearance, and quite rightly!
The whole experience made me realise how lucky I am to have trained and to live in the west.
posted by Caroline Black at
10:02
1 Comments:
Dear Caroline!
Thanks for ur kind visit to one of the poorest countries of the word, if not the poorest.
Nepal is a country full of uncertanities and there is no system on anything. There is problem in any field.
however i would like to thank god for not killing the interests of foreign tourists to come here and visit. After all they can also lear that people are living in such condition.
Thanks for your visit!
my yahoo id is:
purnagurung442@yahoo.com
hotmail id is:
purna442@hotmail.com
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