Nepal trip’s a healthy reminder
By Charlotte Gregory, Year 12, St Monica’s College
YEAR 12 students Eliza Dalziel, Charlotte Gregory and Aleerah Zammit embarked on an adventure abroad with the company Projects Abroad, during recent school holidays.
The students worked alongside medical professionals and contributed to essential medical programs in Chitwan, Nepal, including at Chitwan Medical College Hospital (CMC), Bharatpur Eye Hospital, Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, a family planning centre, an old age home, a naturopathy hospital, and a dental outreach with children.
On June 23, three students, including myself, embarked on a journey abroad to Nepal, with 13 other high school students from all over the world, to devote two weeks to volunteering in the hospitals of Chitwan. It was hard not to fall in love with the country and its people.
Our hospital experience began with the eye hospital in Chitwan, where we observed medical treatments for dacryocystitis, as well as pterygium examinations and the removal of corneal sutures.
This gave us the ability to examine the different means of treatment for some of the major eye diseases prominent in Nepal, and offered incredible insight into differences in practices, compared to Australia.
The following day we experienced the Cancer Hospital where we ventured through different wards such as the Minor Operation Theatre as well as the Neurosurgical Oncology Ward.
Here, we were fortunate enough to be able to witness procedures including bone marrow extractions, mastectomy wound-cleansing and we could observe multiple consultations with oesophageal and duodenal cancer patients.
What really made me realise how lucky we are to live in a country with such advanced healthcare, were the children as young as two, battling breast cancer. It was heartbreaking to witness.
Our next hospital placement was in the Chitwan Medical College Hospital.
I was fortunate enough to be able to observe a natural childbirth for the first time in the maternity ward, and it was the most amazing experience, however I was quite dismayed by their lack of sterilisation and means of pain relief.
We also participated in cultural activities including language lessons, lectures (where we watched pre-filmed brain clot removals and an appendectomy), took part in a traditional yoga lesson, a cooking class and visited the Chitwan National Park.
We also provided dental education in a local primary school. There, we taught students the basics of tooth brushing and incorporated games and activities, to combat difficulties in communication.
What made this experience so touching and heartbreaking, was that these children were either orphans or at risk of entering the sex slave industry.
Despite their hardships, each child had a smile on their face. This really highlighted to me, the importance of appreciation for everything that we are so fortunate to have.
Overall, participating in this brilliant immersion abroad has entirely solidified my passion for health care and has further inspired me to pursue a career in medicine where I would love to focus on rural healthcare and provide voluntary services in countries, like Nepal, in the future.