10.07.07

Again writing updates as webpages load.

I really know that i shouldn't be counting down, but perhaps the countdown is a bit of a wake up call to make the most of every opportunity as the NIV would put Eph 5:15-17. Will be in Kodari (boarder of Tibet for a couple days to reflect on last week of stay in Nepal. Thoughts of considering starting a fund here whereby poor patients can access this and receive essential surgeries.

Here's the plan revealed. I trust the surgeon who has been taking us around. Based on his work and his strong allegiance to communism, I trust that he will not be corrupt and 'steal' money. When he first returned from Belarus worked very long hours at Kanti - the government hospital. However, since people get paid a flat rate there and not per operation, many of the other staff were in disagreement. This is further motivated by the fact that if they work elsewhere they will receive higher pay. So the current situation has the operating theatre (OT) in operation from 1015-1400 for 4 days a week. We've ended as early as 1100 and ended as late at 1530. This is pretty shotty for a hospital who has been well funded by the Japanese (http://www.kantihospital.org.np/index.php). State of the art equipment that came in 1994 still stands unused. What happens is that when qualitfied Nepali people go to Japan for training, they get trained but don't return to serve at Kanti. It's quite sad here for our surgeon friend who returned to Nepal to serve the poor here. He also mentioned that working in Belarus wasn't all that fulfilling as foreigners are not respected as much as nationals.

After OT hours decreased, he started working at Gorkha Hospital which he has dreams to make into a Children's hospital, but shareholders are pushing for it to become a general hospital to be more profitable. Currently, it's underused. The idea and what the surgeon does is operates at prices slighty higher than at Kanti. Patient who usually come are poor and can't afford to pay in full, so many times he pays out of pocket for the operation that he does. It's quite frustrating for a qualified surgeon to be doing simple cases over and over again, but he's happy as long as he's working.

Patients travel from as far as 300km, on bus and foot to get to Kanti. Since the elective surgery wait time is 2 years. Many patients will forget to show up. Those that need to be operated on also need to wait - the way they seem to stall is by telling them to get a test done and bring results back the next day, or tellign them that the wait time in long. When patients return for their 6-7th time they are usually rewarded with an admit. But this usually doesn't occur unless they are in pretty bad shape. There are a ton of urinary tract infections here and abcesses. perhaps lack of hygiene?.. Regardless, it's heart breaking to see scrotums larger than a child's fist due to a hydrocele or hernia. Abcesses are also quite common in both genders also varying in size and placement from head to toe up to an adult sized fist in size.

The idea is to have a fund which patients to take from if they need assistance. Especially for those patients who travel for days to come and won't have money for a return trip to the hospital in 3 months for an essential surgery. Since OT hours at Kanti are limited, surgeries will take place at Gorkha (Children's) Hospital. This hospital is infinitely more sanitary than Kanti. It's much more of a hospital. One of the problems with this is that there's no contingency if anything happens to the surgeon. He's mentoring 2 medical officers but neither is interested in a surgical specialization. There are many others tho. Your input (constrictive and skeptical) would be greatly appreciated. Ideally, it'd be nice to be training up people with the quality work he does. Please reply asap as time here is limited.

http://www.visitnepal.com/nepal_information/ngo_in_nepal.php

in the race by the grace of God,
e.
Heb 12