One flashback was watching a patient transported from ICU to I'm not sure where at Patan Hospital (Where the Patan Academy of Health Sciences is attached to.) Three people were moving an older metal bed with smaller rickety wheels down a hallway. No IV poles or IV med administration devices, no RT and ventilator (granted this patient was not intubated). Patient had broken his right leg as about three water filled jugs were attached to a pulley system to provide traction. Simple colourful blankets in his lap. No white-dressed porter pushing the bed, but a women in a pink sari at the head of the bed trying to steer, and two gentlemen in khakis and polo shirts at the rear.
Another flashback came as were were leaving the hospital grounds to walk home. I'm used to screaming ambulances, diesel engined ambulance trucks, C-spine precautions, and 911 calls. A man had probably fallen at a construction site. Instead of calling an ambulance, his co-workers brought him to the hospital (maybe faster? maybe affordable than the local ambulances? Not sure.) Unconscious, 1 person held his head, two his arms, and two his legs. Blood dripped from his left temple. Needless to say, it made us all stop in our tracks and reflect.
Maybe these flashbacks will make you reflect a little too?
Hugs and love from Kathmandu
Kiley
When I was last in Nepal Patan Hospital was hosting the first ever training program for Ambulance Support Technicians. It was a joint training venture with a University in the United States. In addition they were launching a national call in number (Like our 911) as a joint venture with the telephone system.
ReplyDeleteUntil now all ambulance services in Kathmandu consisted of essentially cars with sirens but driven by non-medical personell and containing no medical support equipment. Consequently (as you witnessed) 90% of all people arriving at Emergency Wards in Nepal come by private vehicle or local taxi.
I believe that November (2010) was the be the launch of the new Ambulance service and they were starting with 5 (I think) donated ambulance vans with the newly trained para-medical staff. TO put that in perspective that means 5 ambulances for a city of over 2 million, compounded by the fact that only a few of the main streets have names and the traffic (as you have seen) is "congested" to say the least. I'll be excited to see how the project has evolved when I arrive next week.
CA didi