However, that is exactly what two young Nepali doctors, Dr Yamuna Kumari Rai, 26, and Dr Hari Krishna Dhakal, 29, have opted to do by working with the HDCS -- Chaurjahari Mission Hospital in Rukum. [break]
“Sometimes, people walk for five days to come see a doctor, and you can explain everything to them, you can help them, and you can do a little thing that way,” explains Dr Yamuna of the need for doctors in the remote parts of the country.
Located on the border between three districts, a majority of patients come from Rukum, Salyan, and Jajarkot but the hospital has served people from far off places like Dolpa and Rolpa.
With 40 beds for in–patients, which are almost always full, the two doctors also take care of an average of 100 out-patients who visit the hospital everyday. Some days the number of out-patients is as high as 250. With the two doctors working full time, work is constantly challenging.
“It’s easier to work in other places. But here, we don’t have facilities and because of this our clinical knowledge and judgment has strengthened. There is an opportunity to learn. In other places you can ask seniors but here you have to do it yourself, you develop your own techniques,” says Dr Hari.
Besides the two, a staff nurse and a handful of Community Medical Assistants (CMA), provide what services they can. Currently the hospital has CR x-ray (digital x-ray), ultra sounds, a small lab, histopathology, ear clinic, oral hygienist, maternity, gynecology, pediatric, surgical, TB, leprosy, and epidemic care. On top of this, there is a 24-hour emergency service which the doctors are always on call for.
“We’re on call even on Saturdays and during the night. Right now, if there are cases before 2am I take care of it, if it’s after that then Dr Hari attends,” shares Dr Yamuna. Even with full schedules and countless hours of work, the hospital attempts to manage three or four medical camps a year.
“One trip in Salyan was about a day’s journey,” begins Dr Yamuna and Dr Hari fills in, “People don’t know the most basic of things – how to stay clean, the need to wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet – regardless of what type of Constitution is written, it won’t affect these people at all. People talk about settling life in Mars, but here they lack the most basic of things. If you give people medicine they stare at it with awe because they’ve never seen medicine before.”
Working full time in a remote location that lacks internet and other communication facilities might hold little appeal, but the two doctors are committed to where they are stationed.
Dr Hari shared how he felt a calling to come to Rukkum while in his final year of MBBS in Bangladesh.
After being in Rukkum for 14 months he says, “Earlier, life was monotonous. But here there’s so much to share the things we know -- it doesn’t even have to be related to medicine. Here patients talk about their home life, they bring it here and to be a doctor isn’t just about giving medicine, we arrange things for them, they ask us about other countries – some of them have never even left their village.”
Fifteen months on, Dr Yamuna who studied in China especially enjoys being in a place where she can think.
On top of that, she says, “My friends would say it’s about the money, but here I’ve met a lot of missionary doctors – there are over 70-years-old but they want to work here and make a difference. Nobody wants to come here, but if we can make a difference and educate the villagers, we should. I suppose people look up to us and because of that we have to be something!”
Though the two are full time doctors, the hospital also welcomes its doors to volunteers from across the world, “We always have guests. Volunteer doctors, specialists, nurses from other countries such as Germany, France, India, Japan, Philippines, Singapore come for a week to three months and with that, even if it’s a small remote place, you can broaden your mind.”
The two note that this is a good time in their lives to come here before things like marriage and children take priority.
Though, there are many doctors, who believe that being in such a place would be a waste of time, Dr Hari says, “I’m giving the best years of my life staying here. I think this is one of the best ways to serve the
country.”
Both doctors will be leaving Rukum in December with plans of furthering their education but they agree working in a place like this isn’t for everyone.
For Dr Yamuna, it’s more than worth it. “I want to come back and work here. I’m not promising anything, but I’d like to give back to this place. Even if it’s not for months, a week or so. After a while, it’s like you’re part of the place.”
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