Maurice Lee

The beautiful Himalayan kingdom of Nepal features prominently on the wish-list of many travelers. Having 8 of the 10 highest mountains within its boundaries, within an area slightly smaller than the South Island of New Zealand, hints at the rugged nature of its geography. The allure of this mystical country and all the legends and myths forged from mountaineering exploits, beautiful treks, and friendly people draw thousands of tourists in, and their much needed dollars. Beneath the beauty lies a nation wracked by poverty, political crises, and a 9 year Maoist insurgency.

The statistics from Nepal are grim. The life-expectancy at birth is 59 years. Nepali men outlive women, in grim contrast to trends in other countries and a significant indicator of the poor health. The adjusted maternal mortality rate for 2000 was 740/100000 births, and the under-five infant mortality is in the order of 1 in 10. A large proportion of Nepal's 25 million people live on less than US$2 per day. The poor infrastructure, the remote and difficult terrain, the civil war, the lack of trained healthcare workers all combine to limit access to healthcare by the impoverished villagers

As an anesthetist, there are many opportunities in developing countries to improve outcomes at a personal level, for the single patient, and also at the national level, to improve the general access to healthcare. A nurse anesthetist training program was started several years ago. The training is aimed at meeting the need for trained anesthesia providers in all the 75 districts of Nepal, as part of a larger government goal to provide safe, emergency obstetric care. In this session, I will share my experiences of working 2 years in Nepal; from my role in a mission hospital in the hills, to the training of medical and paramedical staff in anesthesia, to negotiating my way and trying to understand this country at war with itself.

Time of Presentation
Saturday 7 May 2005 - 1030-1200

References

1. Data source: http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/cty/cty_f_NPL.html