OUR FIRST FEW DAYS

On May 3rd we had our first day of placement at the Kathmandu Model Hospital.

Our day began with a half and hour walk to the hospital through crowds of peaceful protesters. People are friendly and respectful to us on the streets, and despite the tense political environment, we feel safe.

Our first stop in the hospital was to receive our official ID badges. After, we were given a tour of the maternity floor by one of the supervising nurses. Due to the strike, there are very few maternity cases as women are unable to get transportation into the hospital.














Yarrow & Lauren at the Model Hospital before our first shift

The Labour and Delivery unit and nursery were empty. There was one postpartum mom and a several gyne cases in the postpartum area. We were warmly welcomed by the nurses who loved our white uniforms (theirs are blue), especially our work clogs. We spent the rest of the shift looking through patient charts and sitting at the nursing station. We were interested to see that all the charting is done in English. Apparently all the nurses are educated in English as well. Unfortunately we were not able to be involved in any cases that day, as there were none.

The one hiccup of the day was that it was Lauren's turn to be sick. After going quite pale and sweaty while sitting at the nursing station, she welcomed up her morning mango smoothie. Our first taste of Nepal GI tract upset! Lauren is feeling much better although still a little feverish.

Today and yesterday were similar - after colourful morning walks we arrived to empty wards. The nurses are lovely and are interested in hearing about midwifery in Canada. We are also learning about maternity care policies in Nepal. We have been able to observe some dressing changes & staple removals, participate in patient rounds, and observe a few antenatal checkups in the Outpatient Department.

Yesterday, the Director of the Midwifery Society of Nepal picked us up from the hospital and took us on a very interesting walk through the city. She welcomed us into her home for a spectacular Nepali meal. Then she took us to her sister's house where we were fed even more delicious food. We met both of their families and were overwhelmed by their generosity. We could barely walk home because we were so full!

Tomorrow we hope to be able to start at a different hospital, which is higher volume and exclusively for maternity patients. We are spending the rest of today visiting Durbar Square, which is a historical site full of beautiful temples and monuments. We'll post pictures soon - as long as the internet access cooperates.

Love,

Yarrow and Lauren