placement

if u’ve been wondering how come i’ve only been talking bout touristy things, i’ve only started my placement last tuesday at this private hospital called jaya buddha hospital. its on this street they call it the ‘medical street’ where all the dentists, clinics, pharmacies and govt hosp is.

so there are bout 6 doctors there maybe, kinda like an outpatient hosp. i think only bout 5 patients staying in there at the moment. anyway, i havent been doing much work now, just observing the doctors, or more like shadowing them. but they’ve been explaining lots to me.
basically whenever i see them in the room, i just walk in, pull a chair over n sit in the consultation. they’ll turn over n explain to me in english, or like when i shadow the dermatologist, he’ll put his magnifying glass over n i’ll see those impetigos, leprosy, christmas tree shaped fungal infections etc.
or like whenever i go on rounds with the physician, he’ll lend me his stethoscope n i’ll listen to the crackling sound of the lungs of those patients with resp infections.

and then after 2 days, i got so depressed and lonely cos the only ppl who speak english are my host father n mother (not much), and the doctors. but the doctors r u know, (older) doctors, like they r just not interested in anything else.. n the nurses can only speak a word or 2 english words so naturally yes i’m down n depressed..

n i hate dhal bhaat. actually i dont hate it that much but i think my mummy will know best when it comes to my eating habits – JAMIE DONT EAT THE SAME FOOD OVER TWO CONSECUTIVE MEALS!! moreover they r just mixed veg, lentil soup n rice. i need my meat weih…. n because they’re al veg n stuff my stool’s pretty soft and light coloured (TMI maybe?) so they r alil bit uncontrolled.. ah wat the heck!

anyway, i tried to build a good relationship with the doctors n like they’ve offered to take me to the govt hosp next week (yeaaah!! we’re not allowed there unless we’re brought in by a doc) n like the dermatologist is performing some kinda electro coagulation on someone’s penis.. so nice to watch i guess.. he’s gonna use the electrodes to coagulate something there i think, not too sure, will get to know more next week.

and like i met up with an english volunteer ystd nite he just got here in chitwan from kathmandu, its his last day today so he brought me to where his placement was.

and u know what? its this run down shabby government health post where plenty of villagers come in everyday with like skin infections, fever, cuts, burns, unwanted pregnancy etc n refuses to go to the hosp cos they have no money, so like, i for the first time tody performed my AHEM solo surgery.. lol! i incised the guy’s skin WITHOUT ANY ANAESTHETIC, and basically just pressed with all my might the pus and abscess out his wound. his hand was inflammed like a huge thing! and the so- called qualified doctor there (they all have no qualifications) just points at either me or Tom and go like, “ok, u make incision, take it out. go” i really felt so nauseous i had to sit down for a while cos i saw stars n my legs were just weak at that point !so i did like a million bandages today, even prescribed amoxycillin and paracetamols and omg, my last patient was a boy who had an open wound right to the bone it was so bad but the funny thing was he wasnt crying at all! n then when we wanted to give him the tetanus jab he screamed like hell.. oh man, i relly felt like crying too really.. Tom actually bought the anti tetanus thingy for the lil boy cos the shabby place ran out of it. n we gave him chocolate after that. so yea, Tom jabbed him n i rubbed him with alcohol.. but still, everything felt so unreal.

so anyway, i’ve found a pretty good restaurant here now with the best toilet i’ve seen in 3 weeks (i’m serious!!!! reason is they have a toilet bowl, toilet paper n flush and no floating piss n shit n no pee smell) so i’m just gonna eat there every once in 2 days so i can crap there as well.. a whole meal of chicken pizza, hot choc and fries costed me 240 rupees which is 2.40 euro and i was filled to the brim!

okay, thats it for now. back to my lonely state again tmrw. my typical day starts at 6.09am (my alarm) and i cycle to the hosp to start work at 7am, get back for lunch at 10am, and back to the hosp at 2pm – 6pm. but now i’ve told the guy at the health post i will be back every 3 days in a week so my days would be 7 – 9.15 backfor dhal bhaat, and 10 – 3 at health post on sundays, tuesdays and thursdays and then 3-6 at hospital. it helps take my mind off home anyway! loads of cycling to do!

adios ppl!