Final DaYz

Greetings Everyone!

I hope all is well and healthy wherever you are...because for the last couple of days I have been the victim of food poisoning and contaminated water. The pain I had was so conflicting and mind boggling that I wasn't able to function properly. The only thought running through my mind was where's the bathroom and whats the fastest route. It was equivalent to having the worst period ever: stomach cramps, gas, constant bowel leakage, and lets not forget the mood swings....Not to be crass but I went to the bathroom at least six times yesterday, mind you that's one day, I've been under the weather for at least a week. This whole ordeal has made me wonder why aren't the simple fundamentals enforced? My sickness could've been completely avoided by simply making clean hands a priority...After my lengthy recovery I notice the lack of care in almost everything: food, hygiene, emissions testing, garbage everything, no one seems to give homage to anything concerning health unless its in regards to money. I feel this posting really relates to one of my previous postings speaking on the example Americans display. We as a nation are viewed across the world and with that comes an image. I realized being here when I introduce myself as American all they see is $$$$$$$$ and more $$$$$$$. Between the media and politics we portray ourselves rather wealthy when in reality is the complete opposite, don't misunderstand me...We are a wealthy nation, however we are a nation in debt that borrows to donate to underdeveloped countries...[yes I did say that right,that wasn't a typo] Its as if we rob Peter to pay Paul, the concept makes no sense. [but anyway I'm losing focus from my point] Our capitalist society/ way of thinking is spreading like wild fire, and the image we're sending is money first compassion later. Thusly the knee jerk reaction is a corrupt economy and poor unhappy constituents all in the hopes for the "American Dream". Now I'm not blaming the US for Nepal's predicament, I am simply analyzing the selected view in which Nepal see's us in. Just a little fruit for thought before I leave. Until next time here's the parasite that took a whole week to clear through my body and its process:

The 411

Greetings Everyone!

GUESS WHAT!?! I officially have 5 days left!!!!! I get to go home woooooooo!!! But before I leave I had to take care of some serious business yesterday, I had to extend my visa so I could leave free and clear. One of the girls left and didn't have her paperwork in order as far as having the proper visa and had to stay longer. Thusly paying $12,000 rupees that's $112 US dollars for the correction, furthermore prompting me to do the same. I went straight to the immigration office and ended up paying $48 for everything. The process seemed a lot simpler than in the US in terms of the mailing process, not to mention all the waiting required. Everything happens at a rapid pace, and plus the workers are a lot nicer than the Embassy of Nepal in the US as well....But anywho the adventures don't stop there, my computer charger decided not to work and therefore causing delays in emails as well as communication with family. So I had to buy a new charger at the bargaining price of $1600 rupees that's $16 US dollars how awesome is that!?! I was so happy I hugged the salesman. [lol] But other than that I've been enjoying the last days until arriving home, I'm getting a tattoo on Thursday and massage on Saturday. Supposedly the massage parlor is very famous due the staff:

          Seeing Hands Nepal is a UK Registered Charity. It was set up in 2005 by British founders Rob and Susan Ainley, and is backed by a global network of volunteers from trustees and members, to professional massage tutors and teachers. It is also linked to the London Institute of Sports and Remedial Massage (ISRM), which helps to induct volunteer tutors and procure equipment and course materials.Operations in Nepal are overseen by the founders, but managed by a local team of experienced staff (including blind members) who have been involved with the project since inception.SHN now employs over 17 staff (including blind therapists and sighted support staff) and as the training programme continues, this number is expected to grow. Efforts are ongoing to develop the longevity and sustainability of the organization, so in future years it can be independently run by the blind, for the blind.

So until next time you can imagine how cool and wonderful my much needed massage is going to be :D !!!!!!

Lamenting

Greetings Everyone!

I hope all is well! As you know my days are numbered, and I am slowly pulling myself together to gracefully go home I wonder....I wonder how the people of Nepal are going to progress? From education and healthcare to culture and tradition. As I advance within this internship I wonder how will Nepalese people and the government change their ways for the greater good.  As an American I feel I can and will never understand the struggle a Nepali will go through simply due lifestyle and conditioning. However, as an American I can give empathy, analysis and assistance, not so much as charity but simply to recover lost culture and regain country pride and strength. Reading through Nepali history, and watching how they became a nation of its own is more enriching then the culture itself. I just wonder, whats next for Nepal???
As an American I feel especially responsible for setting an example for understanding who we are as a nation, to show compassion and resilience within this stay. But, the task gets harder everyday primarily due to that daily challenges. A lot of the citizens here have a misconception that all Americans are rich, stupid and full of animosity towards anyone non American. But that's what is most confusing to me is how Nepali children and younger adults try their hardest to adapt to American culture, learning English, dressing with a more western style , even considering to change most of their traditions. But, what conflicts me most is why they go through all the trouble, most Nepali people will NEVER travel to the US. Believe me, I make no assumptions, I in deed asked all Nepali people I came in contact with....I wanted to know their intentions within the US and most stated " Oh no no I will never travel to the West simply because its way to expensive....So as I stated before I wonder about Nepal, why assimilate to another country standard? Do we hold that much power as a nation ? If so then, we have a lot of responsibilities to attend to...especially since we're donating $27 million. This is just a midnight lament....I just wonder what happens once I leave...do I bring awareness home, or is it an out of sight out mind experience? That's all I have for now but until next enjoy some Nepali culture....


 

   

Reality

Greetings Everyone!

So sorry about the delay in postings, between catching up with power outages and internship duties my plate has been quite full. But I'm here to tell you I am packed full of information. I recently attended a small conference with regards to the public health issues of Nepal, the information I found was alarming as far as comparing how far along the US is in making medical strides. A lot of the issues here are surrounding infections and disease that are acute such as typhoid,tuberculosis, and lung infectioins,where as within the US its more chronic diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. I think the problem spans a lot from lack of true public health. I spoke to the director on the same issues and he stated that workers are set in place to enforce treatment and education for the inhabitants the live within the Himalayas. But based on the number of patients and rate of infections something isn't working.Programs are constantly being initiated to help eliminate some of the problems, but due to lack of funding and  the corrupted government a lot of what their trying to achieve is merely and dream...But what I did find most interesting was how much our US government is funding Nepal. They give Nepal $27 million every year, how crazy is that???!!! And to add insult to injury we give to MANY under developed countries. I have soooooooooo many mixed feelings concerning this matter just for the simple fact of how much we as nation are in debt, where does one even begin to find the money and time to help another place when in fact we are in soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much trouble ourselves. Furthermore, if in fact the US is donating money to Nepal why is there no representative making home visits to see where all this money is being put to work.... 10% of that money alone could take care of the pollution knocking out some of the lung infections here and maybe clearing up some of the smog within the air. The pollution within Kathmandu is so bad everyone wears masks with hopes of protecting themselves further from of the some the already caused damage. Another 20% of that donation could go towards trash clean up, do you know how much unman-aged garbage impacts ones health? Here's a snip-it from Waste Management:

 Much of the health literature on the toxicity of the individual substances highlighted above relates to occupational or accidental exposure and thus generally to higher levels of exposure than those expected from waste disposal methods. Many of the substances, such as cadmium, arsenic, chromium, nickel, dioxins and PAHs are considered to be carcinogenic, based on animal studies or studies of people exposed to high levels. Evidence that these substances cause cancer at environmental levels, however, is often absent or equivocal. In addition to carcinogenicity, many of these substances can produce other toxic effects (depending on exposure level and duration) on the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, skin, reproduction, etc. For other pollutants such as SO₂ and PM₁₀, air pollution studies have indicated that there may be effects on morbidity and mortality at background levels of exposure, particularly in susceptible groups such as the elderly. Chemicals such as dioxins and organochlorines may be lipophilic and accumulate in fat-rich tissues and have been associated with reproductive or endocrine-disrupting endpoints.

Now keep in mind that 30% of the donation that's $8.1 million just give some perspective. Based on this postings I think I finally found my topic of interest to research! For the longest time I struggled with my topic as far as finding research so thusly within this posting I finally realized what I want to enlighten myself on...Public Health within Nepal. I have sooooooo many issues that need to be address but I guess I'll save the rest for next time...Until then enjoy some really cool pictures!

Paragliding in Pokhara

Monkey Temple [Buddhist Temple]

Paragliding in Pokhara 

Bhaktapur 

A TASTE OF NEPAL

Greetings Everyone!

So today's topic is kind of unconventional,  so heed the warning its surrounding bowel movements....To begin, of Nepal's biggest problems involve diarrhea, and that's due to constant contamination within one's food and water. Because hand-washing isn't apart of a daily routine bacteria is constantly spread from person to person contact or person to food cross contamination. For example, analyzing the bathroom situation, rarely is there toilet paper and soap provided for the process of properly sanitizing oneself. But, I choose this topic particularly because it pertains to my situation, I've had constant stomach issues with my body since I received my vaccinations for the country. My pains range from 4 to 6 hours apart and feel as if someone is consistently punching me in my upper abdomen. I've had diarrhea for about 2 weeks now but it wasn't until yesterday that my body gave me the true pain and misery of what this sickness has to offer... I broke my veggie streak to try a real sample of what Nepal has to offer and it felt like death came knocking at my door. I wanted to do any and everything to empty my stomach even if that meant sticking my fingers down my throat...OMG I've never felt sooooooooo bad. Because, I'm a intern within the hospital they gave me a free consultation, the doctor prescribed electrolytes to re-hydrate my body and return it to its normal state... At first, it tasted awful, so much to the point of vomiting, but within 15 to 20 minutes I was back to my normal state and ready to work... But just think a little Gatorade could have solved all my problems.... 2 hours later I was peeing like a race horse, and to make matters even better, I finally released my lunch and don't plan on eating anything soon....I feel so drained and physically and tired from all the straining and stomach pains. It seems that each week my digestive problems get progressively worse...Furthermore I forgot to include that my medicine cost was about 40 rupees altogether, thats barely a dollar just to give some perspective. But anywho that's all for now until tomorrow, its really late here and my day has been quite long so love, peace, and hair grease until next time!

Well Rounded

Greetings Everyone!

I hope all is well and good wherever you are! I finally feel comfortable in my own skin where I can safely say I am enjoying what Kathmandu has to offer...Soooooo the last time we spoke I was talking about the medical laboratory and how public health is implemented. But the things I saw transpire throughout the week were just amazing. To begin I saw a kidney stone removal, [just for those who don't know what a kidney stone removal is; basically its a calcium build up within ones urine, now depending on the size and mm of the stone one may or may not be able to pass the stone through urination, thusly for the surgery if passing the stone is difficult]. But the surgery itself was soooooooo cool, the patient was very fragile and in immense pain, the process was about 2-3 hours because the patient had three kidney stones the size ones thumb nail. The doctor that did the procedure was apparently one of the best surgeons in Nepal. He is the head urologist within his association, and travels quite frequent to conferences and meetings. The surgery itself was successful despite the fact that the power went out during the process and the patients blood pressure kept increasing...I also had the pleasure of viewing my very first ultrasound [OMG] seeing another life in that light was so beautiful, I saw the sex [a boy!], heart, liver, and the placenta from the mother. I also got a chance to witness some really interesting x rays....And the news doesn't stop there, I had the pleasure of going to another clinic with the hills of Nepal soooooooooooo beautiful by the way! But, the clinic is newly built and services the people within that region at a more discounted price. The problems range from children with worms to women with vaginal prolapse. Each person traveled far to recieve treatment, and keep in mind that each patient has persisting problems while waiting for the opening of this clinic. In many ways this clinic was a blessing in disguise, the doctors there mostly specialize in internal medicine but doctor in particular happen to have done multiple surgeries in many different sectors of the body like brain, cardiovascular, neuro, ortho, and much more this is a hot commodity within Nepal. But anywho I have sooooooooooooooooooooo much more to tell which I will save for my next posting tomorrow. But I'm really sleepy now and kind of ready to crash, my body's been really sickly lately due to the environment and dietary changes so I'll save that for another posting....But until next time enjoy some of the sites I saw while in the Hills of Nepal!

kidney stones

Kidney Stone Pre-OP

Me Scrubbed in :D 

HEY HEY HEY

Greetings Ladies & Gents

I'm so sorry for the late delay in postings, I've been traveling around the city of Chitwan for the past two days! The adventure was amazing and definitely an experience I will never forget! To begin lets start with the bus ride, oh my god these people have no concept of driving skills here! I think he hit every pothole, ditch, or whatever he could find in the road. The bus ride itself was average, the seats were small, uncomfortable and really compact [but then again what bus is comfortable?]. And lets not forget the bus ride was about 6 hours long, with only two stops in between, so I hope you were awake for both of them.... But each stop had something different to offer, the first stop I experienced my first modern outhouse, thank God I brought toilet paper and soap or else I would've been in a tight fix. The second stop was really cool, the rest stop was set up as a giant cafeteria with all the Nepalese food one can choose from! I ate a fried veggie ball, with veggie chomein SOOOOOO GOOOOOD! But as time passed we finally approached our stop and reached another bus to take us to this extremely luxurious hotel. The hotel provided hot water, food three times a day, AND......toilet paper with soap [not to mention one could flush the tissue paper down the commode].. Awesome RIGHT!? Furthermore we took a small hike and tour through the Chitwan village and their national park to get a preview of what we would be doing for time being spent there. I saw the Narayani River which by the way is BEAUTIFUL, I did a three hour long hike in the National park while in the presence a wild animals [mind you there's no protective barriers], I went canoeing and rode an elephant. Now the elephant ride included a hike through another portion of the Chitwan National Forest sooooooo cool, but I highly recommend bug repellents with lots of deet. The more deet inside, the stronger ones protection against getting bitten. I have a total of 28 bites on my entire body, from my face to my feet. So please please please make sure deet is a huge factor within your repellent because these bugs are relentless! But anywho I did a second trip back to the hospital today, much better treatment than last week. I went to the laboratory and observed their skills and what their methods were as far as testing fluids for pathogens. Very interesting system, each person has their own individual tasks and works on their own time. Its kind of like a divide and conquer systems everyone knows their job, but at the end of the day comes together to balance out all the information. What I find interesting is throughout the hospital there's no public health initiative taken by anyone. Only the Public Health Administrator does most of the promoting and what I find so intriguing about the whole process is, how does one expect a increase in disease control if no one is proactive. I always thought Public Health is group effort by everyone not jut certain sectors of the hospital. But anyway its really late here going on midnight so I heading off to bed but before I went just wanted to bring you all up to speed on everything. So until next time enjoy some pictures from the Chitwan adventure!

Clear Understanding

Greetings Everyone!

WOW! Last night sooooooo intense right! Well I'm here to tell you that was nothing compared to what I;m about to you....So today was my first experience with clinicals within the hospital, and boy let me tell you it was not a graceful easy going experience. The nurses were rude and disrespectful towards me, not only did they laugh at but they nit picked at everything about me from my name to my hair, even my size and culture in English and Nepali["why are you so fat and ugly" "why is your hair like that?"] just a sample of today's comments. And you know I could have easily snapped and said some mean comments but instead I became the bigger person and removed myself from the situation. I'm not going lie I went back to the ProWorld house and cried my eyes out...licked my wounds and slowly pulled myself together. But the process wasn't easy, you have to remember this my first experience overseas, I know things aren't always going to be smooth however rudeness I will not tolerate! That's where the line is drawn... So I plan on going back fresh Monday morning and blow them out the water. I'm going to ignore there comments and address them accordingly, I REFUSE to be bullied in a FREAKIN underdeveloped country. If anything I'm suppose to the rude "Ugly American" right? Now don't misinterpret my plan as a sign of vengeance, I chose to be the bigger person and not entertain ignorance....They will respect me because I am going to command it, they will accept my brown skin and I will not apologize for heritage and where I come from..... Its funny because I had to come all the way across the world to finally embrace my culture on whole new level. And that's okay, I think I'll come back a better person for it. However, today wasn't a total bust I did take some pictures of the hospital, and learned some of the common illness within the community. The list consist of:  COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pneumonia, Indian Fever, and Urinary Track Infections) The hospital does make an impact within the community but there's still lots of work that needs to be done, most sectors hold from 1-12 people at a time, and that's sections like medical ward, ICU (Intensive Care Unit), and hospice care sector [even though the tittle denotes dying patient it holds patients in recovery and patients awaiting treatment for typhoid]. Now places like surgery or x-rays hold 1-2 patients only, so I still have more to see. I can't go back tomorrow because I go on an excursion.But come Monday I plan on entering the medical testing facility (laboratory) I hear those are the meanest nurses but I need all sections covered so I can get a well rounded view of the hospital . So thusly I'm going to suck it up and push through it. Other than that I had a pretty productive day, I washed all my clothes and reorganized my room. I took a nice hot shower and enjoyed a movie. As of right now there's a power outage taking place for God knows how long sooooo that's the highlight of my day. Until next time enjoyed some diverse versions of embraced black culture!

VENTING MOMENT

Greetings Everyone!

I hope all is well where ever you are! Today was definitely interesting, I woke up to a rain free sunny day, with no power or water for about 4 hours. And surprisingly enough I wasn't really phased by it. I've been here now for 3 days and 4 nights, I'm still adjusting and trying to finish unpacking. So to release some steam I went out clubbing 2 nights in a row. The men were nice the drinks were good and the prices were cheap. However, its nothing like a taste of home to give me the real boost I need. I spoke to my dad yesterday and he gave me a dose of true reality. And in what he said really and truly changed my perception, he stated that I'm in their country, I chose them and they didn't choose me...And with that being said I can't expect or accept anything until gripping that concept. So thusly I took a step today and tried and enjoy the beauty in everything I witnessed today. I embodied the food, the streets, and even the smells (and let me tell they weren't sweet)  to then further appreciate what the culture has to offer. But what bothers me to no end is the constant distance and barrier between me and them [the color of my skin, the curl patterns in my hair, the style of my dress, even the language I speak] its like I'm the walking talking alien from America. Not even the whites here know or understand what I go through. I feel as if I'm the only black person here, and it bothers me THERE I SAID I FINALLY GOT IT OFF MY CHEST.... but ironically I don't feel any better about it. The people look at me and laugh or point and talk about me right in front of my face like I'm some side show attraction. You know all the books and classes really don't prepare you for the real moment, especially considering that they water down a lot of truth involved. And within the point my father made to mewas if I don't grasp that concept I'm slowly going to turn into that ugly American, complaining and nagging about everything, not appreciating anything, becoming arrogant and mean towards not only the people but the culture as well. Okay no more! I'm done I think laid enough heavy steam until next time. So with that being said I'm going to bed because I have a long day ahead of me and I don't want to miss anything. Until next time here's an ugly American to keep you company!

SOS

Greetings Everyone!

So today was the big day, I started my internship and finally got myself situated within the country. I went to meet with a Public Health administrator of the hospital. He gave me the inside scoop of how the system truly works and how the government is impacting the country. To be quite honest its not really good, the system there is very underdeveloped, as far as building maintenance and simple common knowledge. The hospital base on a non-profit organization called Helping Hands, and through that the hospital gets money from [government funding], and fees paid by patients for treatment. The medicine is modern and while the intentions are good the actions being made to bring progress grows faint. They preform surgeries at discounted prices and give treatment for little to nothing, the equipment is really old, some of their tactics aren't really clean. Gloves really aren't worn, masked aren't worn while certain procedures take place. Its kind of contradictory, because at the same your treating someone your still spreading the bacteria through personal contact with other people. Furthermore to add more insult to injury tissue or soap isn't provided at the hospital so when one decides to digest millions of tiny bacteria are being passed everywhere! So my question and concern here is how to truly implement Public Health without offending the people present, because at the end of the day its the best they can do with what they have. Just the simple small things really make a difference, I personally feel if you start at the source maybe the information can be passed to make a better tomorrow. For example an info session on how to properly do hand-washing or to wear and dispose of gloves. Again this is just from individual observation and my opinion, I have NOT in anyway impressed on the people my thoughts and feelings. That's not the purpose of my research, I simply want to remain seen and not heard. Now what I just told you  is only the surface I could on and on about whats wrong but I'm more focused on solutions.In addition, the doctor spoke of how most of their problems surround funding, they DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY! And to make matters worse the patients out number the doctors. Nepal has one of the most corrupt country's in South East Asia, so if one can imagine how that impacts the hospital and its constituents. These are some of the problems and struggles that Nepalese people have to deal with on the daily basis....I'm sorry if this offended someone reading or if I came off blunt but lets face it life isn't all about rainbows and sunny skies. Looking at this situation really makes one analyze and appreciate the healthcare system we do have; it also gives some perspective of what poverty truly looks like....

Final Destination

Namaste!

I finally made it with no time to spare! The experience of all this has been invaluable, the people I encountered and places I've seen will never be forgotten. The flight here was definitely interesting filled with so many Nepalese and Indian people, it was a good old fashion melting pot of cultures. The ride itself was four hours long and with unforgiving smells. But needless to say I made it safe and sound with no problems. The airport was very contemporary and yet still foreign to me, the scenery, the process, everything was brand new to me. For once I can say I was the foreigner, that had to go through immigration and customs. But nothing could have prepared for the traffic here, I guess everyone's on their own agenda with their own personal rules. If one can imagine there were people, cars, and bikes everywhere all at once! Our taxi cab driver was scaring me half to death swerving from side to side, bobbing and weaving through traffic like we're in grand theft auto or something. The scenery was definitely different from the states no traffic signs or lights, just bare and open for any given opportunity.

However, the process of checking into the ProWorld house was different. Everyone was really nice and excited for new company, I can't say I'm completely settled, I guess I'm still  culture shocked. Between the hard bed and the time difference everything is taking time for me to adjust. The showers aren't always hot and I can't flush tissue down the toilet so things are going to take of getting used to but I guess the experience shall be enriching for sure. I go through orientation today for my internship and the dos and don'ts for the program . The one I can say that makes me unique is that I can contact my family anytime as long as I have the internet. My dad was fortunate enough to buy me a magic jack so I can make international calls without paying a dime. I just got off the phone with my best friend about 30 minutes ago, so I do feel somewhat comfortable. My goal/ task for the day is not isolate and/or outcast myself, I'm really shy and still trying to figure out who to trust and talk to about my questions and concerns. [I mean lets face reality here: Not everyone has your best interest at heart.] So with that thought in the back of my mind I always remain a little reserve from the group. But with that being said how was one to enjoy themselves without letting down ones guard? So objective for the day learn what I'm suppose to do and immerse myself into the culture. Until next time Namaste!!!!!





P.S I didn't forget our last topic at hand just give me time and I will surly get back to business


KTM Airport!

HELLO DUBAI

Greetings Everyone! al-salaam alaykum (peace be with you)

I finally made it 13 hours later! The flight was long but very smooth, and really cold! I had a jacket and two blankets and was still freezing. The plane held 250 people and the food was decent, nothing fancy but edible enough to eat and actually enjoy:D. However, I'm in Dubai with very little sleep but much imagination! The country is beautiful and people are really nice. I think my favorite sight so far is the calligraphy, writing here is so pretty and diverse from what I'm use to. As of right now I'm inside the airport figuring out what to do for the 20 hours, do I read or venture. So many thoughts running through my head between the language and dress I'm in amazement. Soooo many different walks of life just within this airport! Africans,Asians, Middle Easterns, Americans you name it, its here. I'm kind of sorry that I can't tour right now, there's so much I want to see for example the tallest building in the world is located right here! The southeast coast of the Persian Gulf is the ocean view for the people of the beautiful country. Until next time wa alaykum e-salaam (peace be upon you)

 

FLY FLY FLY

Greetings Everyone!

Today's the big day! I had an early rise at 4:45 am to catch an 8:50 am flight to DC with a layover of 6 hours! Whew was that a loooooooonnnnnnnnggggggg time, and just think the worst is yet to come, Dubai is next on the itinerary which in fact is an overnight flight....YIKES and to add more adventure I have an overnight layover to follow YAAAY!  I'm tired overworked and under paid but the job still needs to get done. The process this morning was definitely one for the books, word to the wise LADIES pack LIGHT or double up on the luggage because the fees involved are unforgiving. I was 24 lbs over weight and  almost had to pay $400 so to avoid this I bought another bag to compensate.....oye! So 4 hours, one movie and web search later I finally get to prepare to board the plane. I'm really excited and my emotions are all over the place. I have general gist of what I'm feeling but not quite sure if its right.... My imagination is running wild  with curiosity the smell, the taste, the climate EVERYTHING! So I guess my next blog to you will be in Dubai WOOOOOOO, my first country overseas officially before I even get to Kathmandu how cool is that!?!?


 

EXPLORATIONS!!!!

Greetings Everyone!

      As one can see the big day lies ahead very soon, this Friday in fact! I'm really nervous and quite scared...this is the farthest I'v ever been away from family. In many ways their preparation is scaring me more than informing. (i.e be mindful of trafficking, kidnapping, terrorist, etc) So as you can imagine I have soooooooo much running through my head for this trip in addition to the research I'm doing. And to make matters worse I am FEELING the side effects of my vaccinations, I guess I'm the 1% (LUCKY ME...) Word to the wise DON'T wait till the last minute for those shots...Get them at least 2-3 weeks before traveling so your body has time to adjust. But needless to say I am grateful and excited for this excursion as well. My mom just informed me that my home church (Gospel Water Branch in Augusta,GA) is excited and sends prayer for me, and my grandfather announced to the church here (Episcopal Ascensions in Miami,FL) about my trip and sends their prayers as well. So I feel blesses and highly favored right now :) :) :)....



    However enough with the small talk and lets get down to business!!! I've been doing a little digging for more health policy information and still coming up dry...So instead of just using a the library database (Galileo)  I decided to check BBC News Asia and guess what I found???? Nothing.... But the search still continues, even as we speak. So instead of news hunting I decided to develop questions and concepts to better navigate my research and maybe my paper.

1. How the healthcare system impact the people...
2. Which type of medicine do they prefer (herbal or Western) ?
3. How bio-medical engineering is helping the people and is the system more of public health or industrialization?
4. What and Who is the primary care provider? [Doctors, Nurses,techs...]
5. And is healthcare paid with private or government insurance?
6. Understanding how care is provided as far as preventative or treatment based...
7. How the people of this country are impacted with the following questions and concerns above...

 So this is just a start to greater things coming with a more objective approach  until next time...


P.S Tomorrow is my 21st birthday!!!!! WOO WOO

Greetings Everyone!

    Sorry the delay in my postings...I've been preparing for my trip the closer the date approaches (July 5th). I've finally achieved plane ticket fair, which by the way was VERY expensive!!! And to place insult to injury I got inoculated today with hepatitis A and typhoid interesting process but finally done (a week before my plane trip). The ladies inside the clinic were really nice and gracefully placed a needle in my skin. lol Furthermore I also gained my visa within the last two weeks. But any-who I didn't forget where we left off....Bio-medical Engineering right?
     So the textbook definition is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology of healthcare purposes (diagnostic or therapeutic). This field seeks to close the gap between engineering with medical and biological sciences to advance healthcare treatment, including diagnosis, monitoring and therapy. Its only recently that the subject became its own discipline compared to many other engineering fields such as:

•  -biocompatible prosthese  
• -various diagnosis and theraputic medical devices 
• (ranging from clinical equipment to microimplants) 
• - i.e. MRIs
• - EEGs
• regenerative tissue growth
• pharmaceutical drugs
• therapeutic biologicals

But aside from understanding what Bio-medical engineering is rather what does it do for the people of Nepal?!?! Does is mean a second chance for those worst off or does it mean a better money market for the industrialization of medicine?  These are the concerns and questions we should be asking...How does this affect the different types of medicine practices? How can bio-medical engineering connect the two? Is this concept included in insurance for liability reasons as far as workers are concerned??? Just a little fruit for thought next posting... 

  

                                            

Discovery!

Greetings Everyone!

        Did you know that people in Nepal do not greet one another with a handshake,but rather put their palms together and bow their forehead and say Namaste (meaning I salute the God in you). So awesome right?! And guess what else???? Its also the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, Lumbini and a pilgrimage for many devout Buddhist. And their flag represents the two major religions Hinduism and Buddhism as well as symbolize the Himalayan mountains. But any-who just a little quid pro quo before I dive in the dense healthcare system of Nepal.
      So I did a little digging and found that its quite normal to incorporate herbal medicine along with western medicine. The Nepalese people use both interchangeably, consequently its starting to take its toll on the people as well as the community. Based on this article [Modern Desires, Knowledge Control, and Physician
Resistance: Regulating Ayurvedic Medicine in Nepal] it is suggesting that one may practice is better than the other. Within the Nepalese culture one is assumed to acquire the knowledge of herbal medicine because plant life is intertwined with ones everyday routine.

    " Nepal’s ethnic and caste diversity belies remarkably similar relationships people have to plant life economically, ritually, and medically. Skilled artisans craft tools from wood, weave baskets from bamboo, and fire clay pots under mounds of smoldering rice and wheat stalks. Farming families grow crops for subsistence and selectively cut branches of trees and shrubs for fuel and fodder for their domesticated animals. Hindu deities are embodied in various plants, and plants of many kinds are important ritual elements for Hindus and Buddhists alike. In their lifetimes, people develop deep knowledge of the plants that comprise their environment and they apply that knowledge in everyday life. When the daily routine is disrupted by illness, people again seek the plants. They carefully select and pick the roots, leaves, stems, flowers, bark, and seeds of familiar medicinal plants, jadibuti, (literally ‘protective entities from roots’) to cure a wide range of illnesses. Hindu and Tibetan based traditional medical systems, Ayurveda and Amchi respectively, both use medicinal plants to treat illness and, in the case of Ayurveda, to restore health by rebalancing the body’s humors."

Now one side of the argument is stating that Ayurveda is traditional concept and should be left alone, especially considering that country isn't recognizing all Ayurveda has to offer . Kind of emphasizing that saying '' don't fix something that isn't broken" however, the rebuttal to that is morality rates. No one is stating that the practice is bad but simply needs to be upgraded, because considering the MDG's (Millennium Development Goals) Nepal wants their morbidity rates lower for women and children, in addition to decreasing disease prevalence. What the government is recommending according to the article is bio medical medicine and technology...... Thusly I ask what is one to believe or trust in???

HELLO to all who are listening!

So today's adventures entail finding sources for my research topic. Surprisingly the search is difficult and somewhat discouraging, but never the less I still press on to get the job done. I've been looking into EBSCOhost search engine for some ideas, but all I find are issues involving mortality rates and improving on their Millennium development goals. I did have some luck and found a small article on new health policies of clinics, so maybe things are turning around... For my background information I've been reading the information on the WHO (World Health Organization) site.I'm just trying to juggle some ideas of how to format my paper. But through this research I did happen to find some cool sites and topics to further support. The evolution of the country and how the surrounding area should reflect its progress... and alternative medicine (Ayurveda). I would definitely like to get a better appreciation for Ayurveda practice, to meet a medicine would definitely be an adventure. Especially considering the strides they make on modern medicine. I wonder how their contributions affect the general public? What do the locals prefer private,public or alternative sectors for healthcare?

 
“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” 
― Winston Churchill

Introduction

Greetings to all who are listening!

       My name is Dominique Clarke, an up and rising senior who attends Agnes Scott College. The nature of my study is Public Health with a focus on health administration and public policy. I am interested in health policy to better the health and well being of individuals through global health and outreach. Currently I have been invited into a research project to study the impact of future health policies on the elderly in Nepal!! Right now I'm study some background information to get a better understanding of the people and the struggles as a whole. 
   Furthermore, I am very excited to get started, and can't wait to start my journey into saving the world!!! I am currently in preparation to leave the country with reading BBC news and understanding the culture. So join me on an adventure and hopefully we can both learn something new....This is my first time leaving the US so my expectations are very high. I have been planning this endeavor for quite some time now, with scholarships, research articles, plane tickets this trip has been A LOT of work. But all is fair in adventure and spontaneity, so I dare you to take the challenge with me and travel outside your comfort zone...