Griffith University in Laos

COUNTRY: Laos
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing, Health Promotion
WRITTEN BY: Jourdan Lofthouse, Griffith University

The day finally arrived, the day we were all waiting and planning for: the day our journey began. There was excitement, tears, laughter, joy and nerves as we went down the departure escalator at Brisbane International Airport. We made it to Bangkok on the very first day of the Kings Birthday celebrations. The night sky was filled with an array of beautiful night lights and the streets were buzzing with life. After a good nights rest we were on our way to Luang Prabang, Laos. The descent amongst the mountains and rice fields was truly magical. It was a touchdown, our home for the next three weeks.

We were greeted with open arms by Chipsing, Kk and Kl our interpreters. The open-air trucks were stocked with our bags, clinic supplies and donations before departing to the city centre. We were given a city tour and visited a local temple built in the 1500s. Kk myth busted the pronunciation of Laos as we learnt that the S is in fact not silent. Lao people and language is pronounced without the S.

It was our last chance to use a Western toilet and a hot shower. We were just two hours away from our first week of placement in Pak Xeng village. Face masks and scarves in hand, we began our journey along the windy, dusty road. It was teeming with life as we passed through the many villages. We saw children lining up in the distance as they prepared for our arrival. We walked through a welcome line of flowers and songs as the village cheered our arrival. The chief and healthcare workers welcomed and thanked us for supporting them over the past 6 years.

We were then placed in our home stays and given our beds on the ground. A few toss and turns worked a treat before exhaustion kicked in. Our first day of clinic saw our language abilities quickly improve. The word 'jip' meaning pain became a commonly used word. We gave analgesics for manual handling related injuries as the farmers worked hard to harvest their crops. Health promotion on the importance of pre-stretching and correct body position were also shown.

A young 8 year old girl with a peculiar white right eye lens was sent to Luang Prabang with donation money. After a few attempts at getting her on a local tuk tuk into town (they fill to the brim!) and blood tests we were told that she would have to wait until next week. It appears to be a cataract that can be treated for around $400. We are also sending a chief of a village with a hernia to be repaired next week. We'll know the outcomes next week and I hope to be the bearer of great news when they come!

Week 2 has seen our amazing group cumulatively treat 500 people! This nursing placement is all about learning, right? We've learnt some important new clinical skills, as well as how to live by the chilled 'Laos time'. Our group also learnt that Laos was once the land of a million elephants. We went on a day trip and discovered that elephants really like water and will dunk you at any chosen time! We saw incredible waterfalls and rode on elephants in their natural habitat. Yesterday saw us rafting down the white waters of the Mekong Delta on bamboo slabs. Luckily, we had locals steering us or I'm sure we would have ended up in the South China Sea! We will head out for our last week of placement this afternoon after one last hot shower and Western toilet.

Apoh village is around 3 hours by open air tuk tuk from the city and apparently quite the picture. We look forward to sharing our last blog with you next week.

Until then, soktee!

Jourdan and the Griffith University team