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looking for a medical volunteer/ internship program
Added: (Sun Aug 07 2005)
For one month, I worked in the Public Health Concern Center (PHCC) in Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan. Half of my time was devoted to helping doctors see patients in the Outpatient Department (OPD). The other half, I was able to observe how the hospital was run by rotating through different wards. Since my medical background was limited, I could not be of more help in a big hospital environment. In two hours, the doctors see up to 40 patients and prescribe medicine. This placement is more helpful for a volunteer looking for a volunteer/ internship program in the health field. It gave me an inside perspective of the hospital system in Nepal. I was also able to assist with the PHCC which provides medicine and clothes to patients who otherwise would not be able to afford these things.
In the mornings, I taught at Step by Step Boarding School. Since my volunteer time was during their exam time and summer vacation, I was not able to formally lead a class. However, I was able to teach students who live in the hostel. The Nepali system of education is geared towards recitation and memorization so that the students have a difficult time retaining the knowledge. By thinking of creative ways to teach vocabulary like games and rhymes, I was able to engage the children while teaching them at the same time. Additionally, I introduced a point system to discipline the children, which was different from the traditional method of physical discipline. By showing a way to positively reinforce good behavior rather than punish bad behavior, the teachers were able to see a new approach that might be more effective and less harmful than the ones they had been using. What the Nepali education system needs most is a fresh approach to teaching English to the children. The students are not taught to think outside the box and learn English just by reciting their textbooks. Perhaps more important than effectively teaching the students, is providing an example to the teachers of another way to teach English and providing feedback.
For two days three volunteers along with Bhoj Raj helped in a health camp in a small, very poor village in Kathmandu. Everyone in the village had some sort of disease that went untreated for sometimes, years at a time. All the children suffered from worms, headaches, and teeth pain, often from poor hygiene and contaminated water. We helped over 90 people by providing medicine and free health care. By the end of the day, although we were tired, we left knowing that even for a few days these people would not be aching and hopeful that they might change their habits.
I stayed with Keshav and Muna Panta in Chitwan. They were from a lower middle class family and the father was rarely around because his office was in Gorkha. They have two sons and an adopted daughter. I had my own room upstairs which became very hot during the daytime. The family was extremely kind and understood some of my Western needs. I would teach the children English during the day. I grew very close to the family and was treated as a daughter. Although the parents don’t speak English, the children do. Since I could not speak English to the mother, I was able to pick up on Nepali quickly. I would highly recommend this host family to another volunteer.