Free Geriatric Clinic

On Saturday a few of the doctors at Manmohan put on a free clinic for the elderly in a little neighborhood about 10 kilometers outside of Kathmandu. Although it was our day off we all decided it would be lots of fun, and the doctors had extended a welcoming invitation for us to come along. So we went to the hospital Saturday and headed out. Almost all of us including the ER docs, internal medicine and family practice doctors, drivers, helpers, and 4 of us volunteers all piled into one of the hospital ambulances. We were like sardines in there but had a great time riding in the ambulance. It turned out there was a strike that day, also I think there was some sort of Maoist protest or something along the way to the clinic. You can always tell because there will be alot of young people waving around the communist flag and sometimes something burning. On Saturday morning most of the route to the clinic was lined with protestors or something. In the middle of the road were tons of burning tires which were a bit of an obstacle but we made it. The clinic was held at an English grade school. A few of the students and parents were there to help out with registration and things of that nature. When we got there we unloaded supplies which included boxes and boxes of medicines. Then we set up shop in an empty room. When we got there, there were already about 100 patients sitting under a tent, listening to someone singing and playing the drum on a stage. They welcomed us an we got started. There were only 3 doctors there, so finally we volunteers could be of service to the doctors instead of just watching, which is what we do at the hospital. Another volunteer named Melissa and I were in charge of taking the blood pressures, taking weights of patients, keeping them in order, and sending them to Dr. Gupta who sat right next to us. Once we started taking BP and weights and writing these down on the charts there was a mad rush!! The patients ranged from around 50 years old to the oldest who was a 104 year old woman!! She was very sweet and appreciative. It was a kick taking all the BP's and weights. Some of the patients were so skinny that it was difficult to take a blood pressure, the lightest woman I think was only 22 kilograms!! Anyway, sometimes the little old Nepalis got a bit pushy and would cut each other in line to see us so we had to settle a few spats between them. It was quite entertaining. It was also quite interesting that I don't think many of these Nepali elders had ever seen a scale or blood pressure cuff before. After we took their blood pressures I would escort them to the small bathroom scale we were provided with to take their weights. A few of the older men tried to sit on it or squat on it like it was a toilet, so I had to demonstrate how to stand on the scale. Also many of the older women stood on the numbers so we couldn't see the weights. Most of the patients began thoroughly describing their ailments to Melissa and I (in Nepali), and didn't understand that we didn't know Nepali. After a whirl wind 3 hours or non stop patients we finally saw the last one. It was quite hectic but so much fun! After our last patient the school children served us milk tea and Fanta. Then a few of the parents had made a massive lunch for us volunteers and the doctors. They gave us pounds and pounds of food. Nepalis I believe have incredibly expandable stomachs because the doctors had finished their plates of dal bhat in about 5 minutes and we still had masses of food on the table. The lunch provided for us included: dal bhat, curried beans, curd (a yogurt drink), mutton stew, and a small plate of curried tomato stuff. We couldn't finish and felt really bad, but we just didn't have room. After lunch we met with the public health minister of Nepal who is a good friend of Dr. Gupta. Then 12 of us piled back into the ambulance to go back to town.