Laos village visits by Griffith University

Wow what a first week out in the villages! It all began when we arrived at the Pak Xeng District on Sunday afternoon. We were greeted by the local children. They all stood in a neat line in their school uniform. Each with their own pretty hand picked bunch of flowers for us. The children were so excited and giggled with delight, it was beautiful to see.

We had a brief meeting with the village chief who welcomed us humbly to their village. We were then introduced to our homestay family. Their homes are basic but clean and comfortable. That night there was a huge celebration in the village, they taught us how to do Lao traditional dance which was hilarious fun then in return we showed them how to do the hokey pokey and head shoulders knees & toes, the children loved it.

On Monday we had a meeting with the heads of the Pak Xeng District Hospital, healthcare workers, translators etc to unpack & organise our donated medications and make a plan of how our clinics would run in the following days. Tuesday was our first clinic day. We drove approx 25 minutes on a bumpy road out to the first village. The day ran smoothly and everyone successfully worked as part of a team with the healthcare workers and translators.

The local village people were so greatful for the most basic necessities such as Panadol for a headache. That day we did see some very sick people too. I treated a person with pleural rub, possible peumonia that was having difficulty breathing.

During the rest of the week as we ventured into poorer and poorer villages the more sicker the people were. We treated a 10 year old girl that had an eye infection for a year and had began to lose her vision. This is just one of the many examples of how early intervention could have prevented serious damage but unfortunately many of these people cannot afford to seek medical assistance early. I think this week we all began to really realise how fortunate we are in the Western population but also how amazing it is to have the opportunity to help these people. Even the most basic of care can make a huge difference here. We all worked hard throughout the week and on the return to Luang Phrabang on Friday afternoon we were so excited to have a hot shower and use a real toilet! During the weekend we all enjoyed free time, relaxed and rejuvenated ready to return and to do it all again.

Rachael Grant Griffith University Gold Coast Campus