Notes on a health camp

We are currently on a health camp in the mid-western part of Nepal. The camp started with two days in the beautiful mountain village of Argarli in the Palpa region, we then moved down onto the plains for a couple of days in some small villages outside of the city of Butwal and we are currently in the Dang area for the final four days. The camps are proving very popular with the locals, providing basic health check-ups, dental care, women’s health and eye care. Medicine is provided free of cost.  Most of the doctors come from our area, with a couple from Kathmandu. They are a great bunch of dedicated professionals who love a beer afterwards too!

We spend most of our time working in the eye team, screening people to be seen by the optometrist and providing glasses.  We try to get time to visit our friends in the other teams but the eye tests are very popular with the locals with the biggest line by far. The work can be very tiring but there are some moments of humour as well…

… One time Ashok was laughing as he overheard some of the locals calling their friends on the phone to say ‘The American doctors are here come quickly!’ Despite the fact that we are the least qualified people here.

… There is the moment in some of the villages where we realise that the reason no one seems to understand what is going on is that the villagers don’t speak Nepali but rather their local language. This can make translation very tricky…

…There is always time for tea…

…When we went to a restaurant one evening we were served warm beer and chilled cucumber. Seems to me they got that one the wrong way around…

… It is the hot season on the plains, even after a ‘cold’ shower you sweat just sitting still in the shade…

… The time I asked our bus drivers assistant to help keep curious children away from the door as they were blocking the light. He took to the task with great gusto running after the kids he could find, and when he couldn’t find some he went looking for more , I only wanted them kept back a couple of metres…

These camps are a great way to bring healthcare to places and people who rarely receive any. There are many people who are poorly educated and illiterate, meaning that they will not go seek out healthcare for illnesses as they are unaware that treatment is available. Even if there is a hospital in a local town many villagers do not know to go get care or they cannot afford the cost. It is also a great way for some of the younger doctors to gain experience and to go and see some beautiful places well off the tourist track.