Clincal work and Ceremonies: Griffith University

We went further out to villages this week than any Griffith Univeristy nursing students had been before. Each day we visted a new village.The roads were bumpy and narrow, at times we clung on very tight as we looked over cliffs to the rivers edge. The mornings were freezing cold as we travelled by truck but by lunch time it was very warm and pleasant. The people in the villages were very excited to see us and the reception we received as we arrived each day, unforgettable.

During clinicals this week everyone worked very hard and efficiently. On average we treated 200 plus people at each village. We have become confident in working with the health care workers and translators and as a result we have picked up quite a bit of the Laoation language in the process.

This week we have treated many wounds, some very infected. We have also treated alot of respiratory infections. Their issues to do with respiratory problems are associated with the way they cook inside by fire, the thick dusty environment and a few are heavy smokers. We have tried to gently educate the Loa people to cook outdoors or at least, to keep their homes ventilated as much as they can. It is difficult for them to understand as they have cooked like that for generations.

After a days work the village comes together to to do a traditional Basti Ceremony to thank us. They wish us good health and fortune as the tie pieces of string around our wrists that we need to wear for a minimum of three days. It's a heart warming tradition to experience and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to get a bit teary when we had our final ceremony at Pak Xeng on Friday. It was sad saying goodbye to the people that had so humbly invited us to stay in their village and homes for the last two weeks. They really did feel like family to us and they treated us like one of their own. We all feel very privileged to have experienced their way of life.

The Lao people live a simple life with only basic necessities but as a result their family bonds are strong. They all pitch in to help with daily living activities such as cooking and washing and they always share their meals together. There is no Xbox, lap tops or Facebook the children play outdoors and before the sun even rises the teenagers are up either cooking breakfast or washing the families clothes and there is no stove top or washing machine. In the western population many have forgotten its the simple things in life that matter the most as we are all caught up in our busy lives. Its been nice to stop and reflect on how we live and remember what really is important.

Before we left Pak Xeng we all did weaving and a cooking class, it was so much fun. We shared the meals we prepared for lunch before saying our final farewells to our homestay mums and the rest of their family. Each one of us were given a scarf they had weaved which take 3-5 days to make depending on how big they are. A beautiful keepsake I'm sure we will all cherish.

We returned to Luang Prabang for the weekend. On Saturday all of 'Group A' went on a day long trek that included lunch, elephant ride, trekking by foot through the beautiful bush land, scenic canoe ride and swimming in the waterfalls. Some of us even swam with baby elephants. It was such a beautiful, fun filled day.

We returned to our hotel to welcome 'Group B' to Laos. We are all visiting the Luang Prabang hospital on Monday. We are very interested to see how the main hospital is run. We look forward to working with fresh faces and spending our final week in Sop Jak.

Rachael Grant, Griffith University-Gold Coast Campus.