Interview: The burning issue

Fate brought Wendy Martson to Nepal from the United Kingdom when she married a British Gurkha. In 1976, she came to Nepal for a trek and, “fell in love with the country”, she says. Then as luck would have it, her husband was offered a job with the trekking company, Tiger Tops, in 1978. They initially came back to Nepal for a year, driving all the way from London to Kathmandu, and ended up settling here.
Trained in art and design, she worked (and still works) with artisans in Patan for years before setting up Burn Violence Survivors (BVS)-Nepal and devoting much of her time to raising funds to support burn victims and aid their surgeries and treatment. Recently, she has been awarded a British Empire Medal by Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II for her services to burn survivors in Nepal. “The award came as a surprise and an honor, and it reflects the dedication of the staff at BVS, and not just me alone,” she says.

Cilla Khatry caught up with Martson at the office of BVS-Nepal in Bhanimandal, Lalitpur to talk to her about the triumphs and challenges of working with burn violence survivors in Nepal.

How did you start working for burn violence survivors?

It all began with a simple dinner event. I was seated next to Dr K D Joshi, a renowned plastic reconstruction surgeon, and he mentioned that he needed help raising funds for burn patients. I was interested to help and he called me the following day after the dinner and I went to Bir Hospital to see the patients. Once I saw the condition there, I just had to try to do something. So with help of family and friends, I tried to gather some funds for burn victims.

At the hospital, I saw a lot of women who were victims of violence. I wanted to help beyond raising funds but I had limited access to resources and means. In 2008, with the help of my daughter who set up the structure for BVS-Nepal, the organization was established and services like counseling, physiotherapy, legal assistance, nutritional requirements, and awareness programs became possible. Through BVS-Nepal, I could expand beyond just providing monetary help to the victims.

Over the years, what are some of the changes you have seen in burn violence?

The unfortunate thing is that neither the government, nor the INGO's are all that invested in addressing burn violence. And unless they work together, change isn't possible and hoping for it is pointless. In a patriarchal society, domestic violence is all too pervasive, and when I first came to Nepal, you wouldn't know what went on behind closed doors. It was a personal matter. But now thanks to awareness, cases are being reported and we can finally address the issue. However, there have been no significant changes where laws and government health care system are concerned.

What do you think is one of the main causes of gender violence in Nepal?

When I first came to Nepal, the population was only around 12 million and now it's more than double that. People, especially in Kathmandu, are living in terrible conditions in tiny concrete spaces, and the cost of life has risen exponentially. There's a lot of self-immolation. There was a year when 43% of all burn cases at Bir Hospital were suicides. Without realizing what's happening, many people are depressed. Women are pushed to a point where they think of committing suicide and many a times, even attempt it. Also, here in Nepal, it's not always the man who is responsible for gender violence. Often it's the women – the female relatives – who are the actual culprits.

How do you think burn violence can be curbed?

A lot is being done to end gender violence but I don't know how effective it really is. In a country where corruption is endemic, the laws have to be strong and effective. There is domestic violence everywhere in the world but what Nepal lacks, compared to other countries, is a strong support system. There need to be community centers where people can address their grievances and get help before things escalate to the next level – violence.

How has your working experience been so far?

Working with burn violence survivors can be very challenging at times especially when people look at it from an economic perspective. It's difficult to deal with this issue because it's not a priority of our health sector and so we don't get much support from the government. Funding is always an issue because treating burn patients is expensive and they need long-term care too. The legal system also has many loopholes. We have been working on bringing about change but there's a long way to go and we're just at the start of our journey.

But on the bright side, I'm fortunate to have a wonderful team. From the doctors and nurses at Bir Hospital and Kanti Hospital and other rural hospitals we work with to my colleagues at BVS-Nepal, I work with the best people, and I'm thankful for that.

You mentioned that treatment of burn injuries doesn't come in the government's priority list. What do you do think should be done to tackle this issue?

We have documentation of every burn patient from 1998 to right before the earthquake and we have taken it to almost all the big players in the political sphere, but we have nothing to show for it. After the earthquake, there has been a surge in accidental burn cases because of the living conditions. People have been living in congested, confined spaces and especially after the blockade many have even taken to storing large quantities of fuel at home. The government needs to realize that burn cases will only increase and act accordingly. Currently, the number of burn injuries is more than AIDS, malaria, and TB put together, and if that doesn't put it in the forefront, I don't understand what will.

How can the government help in dealing with burn injuries?

In the system of nursing we have here in Nepal, a family member needs to be present round the clock to take care of burn victims. Because of this, often the family's sole breadwinner is unable to go to work. Think about the economic loss to the country. The government doesn't realize the long-term impact mismanagement of burn injuries could have on the nation. There's a lot that the government can do. For starters, it could launch a nationwide awareness campaign. The burn unit at Bir Hospital hasn't been functioning since the earthquake. Private hospital charges are too high, and many burn victims come from poor families who aren't able to afford treatment. The government could finance the surgeries and hospital stay for such patients. They can afford to do so, but they simply don't.