Kathmandu, Nepal: Feb. 17-25, 2012
February 21, 2012 — Samuel Lazarus, Program Coordinator, Operation Smile
Namaste from Nepal! We have just wrapped up our second surgery day here at the Kathmandu Model Hospital and we could not be more thrilled to be here on Operation Smile’s inaugural cleft mission in this wonderful country.
Although the team has been hard at work since their arrival last Friday, we have all had a chance to venture out and get to know our gracious and kind hosts.
Given Nepal’s rich religious and cultural history, one cannot help but appreciate the mysterious aura that hangs over this city, particularly in how people greet one another. Our interactions with our coworkers, supporters, patients and families are constant reminders of how welcomed we are.
Some of us have even begun to mimic (unintentionally) the head wag that the Nepalese do when answering a question, which resembles a gesture halfway between a nod for yes and a headshake for no. Needless to say, it has provoked some interesting conversations in our attempts to clarify their answers!
Starting tomorrow we expect to operate on at least 25 more patients before the end of surgery week on Friday.
Our focus this week has been on education and so far our medical team has placed an emphasis on teaching through demonstration and constant questioning. The Socratic method has been in full effect this week in the Operating Room that I find myself avoiding too much time there for fear that I may be called on to answer a medical question.
Our hope, though, is that we will be able to have a lasting impact on the surgeons here so they can apply our lessons to their own work. Already there is an established program at the hospital, led by Dr. Shankar Rai, that performs over 800 cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries a year, so we feel very fortunate to work with them and add new perspective to their already successful practice.
The night nurses have just begun putting our patients to bed, but we look forward to updating you on some stories as the week progresses!
For now though, we hope you enjoy the photos taken by our wonderful Outcomes Data Fellow, Brooke Gordon, so that you understand the “cute overload” many of us are experiencing on an hourly basis. Such is one of the benefits of being a program coordinator!
BLOG: Operation Smile also trained 74 local doctors and nurses in Basic Life Support in Nepal. Read more >>
