First official shifts at Mae Tao Medical Clinic for volutneers in Thailand

COUNTRY: Thailand
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: St John's Ambulance Volunteers

This week we had the rare opportunity of visiting the Umplem Burmese Refugee Camp, the largest Burmese refugee camp in Mae Sot. Although the two hour ride up the mountain was twisty and made a lot of us very nauseous, it was worth it! Upon arrival we were greeted by members of the American Refugee Committee (ARC). Following a delicious traditional

Burmese lunch we heard presentations by the different branches of the ARC including Water and Sanitation, reproductive health, gender violence and the Public Health institution.

This was a real eye opener and we all admired the way that the committee worked to empower Burmese communities through education and community health training. In the afternoon we walked through the camp with the ARC committee to the ARC office- which was on top of the hill we were on! We had to make a few stops to catch our breath, but the people that we met, the experiences shared and the environment that we were able to experience were truly memorable.
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We had our first official shift in the Mae Tao clinic on Friday. Some of us were even lucky enough to watch a hernia operation and the treatment of a large scale foot infection caused by a dog bite. The shifts varied from administrative, childcare and Traditional Chinese Medicine jobs to pharmaceuticals, reproductive health, paediatrics, dentistry and surgery. In Traditional Chinese Medicine I learned a lot about the different nerve tracts and points around the body and the theory of chi and body balance.

On Monday was our second shift. I was in pediatrics where they treated children between 2 months and 12 years. One of the main messages that I took from this experience was the importance of educating young mothers about disease prevention and management for infants. Dixie, one of the Child Health OPD staff, told me about the common misconceptions people have about disease and how this often leads to poor management. Many of the infants were given Oral Rehydration Solutions to replenish the salts and water that they have lost from their body.

On Sunday, we assisted the Mobile Medical Team with distributing de-worming and vitamin A tablets to the children of two more villages near the Thailand-Burma boarder. We also helped the doctor record symptoms and history of patients before diagnosis.

This week was also Catherine and Jess’ Birthday! Cho Cho organised party food and we celebrated (with what has quickly become our celebratory tradition) by letting off some fireworks!

Last night we went to a unique Buffet restaurant where you pick and cook your own food. This was really fun and we enjoyed cooking our dinners and stuffing our faces with ice cream. I think this was a bit of a wake-up call for me because the seafood soup I made just tasted like chilli!