At the beginning of my placement, VSO advised me to ask lots of questions and watch what was currently being done. The schools here have an extremely hard task of teaching in remote areas with little to no resources, so it wasn’t a surprise to me when I discovered no one was confident with first aid.
People here in Nepal still carry the scars from the earthquake – both mentally and physically – so having first aid knowledge has made schools and communities prepared for any future emergency. All the teachers were keen to learn, especially after the devastation everyone witnessed from the earthquakes in 2015. I know that the injuries I saw following the earthquake will stick with me forever.
With brilliant luck, a good friend from the UK came out to visit, and I asked her to bring a resuscitation doll so I could run some thorough first aid sessions
No ambulances here in the Himalayas
Although I am confident in first aid as I used to be a sports teacher, the context here is very different to what I am used to in the UK.
There’s nothing like our ‘999’ service, as ambulances with trained professionals are extremely rare. Even finding someone with a car to get to a hospital would be impossible in some of the most remote Sisters for Sisters schools.
The essentials
Despite this, there are still essentials that can be learnt that may well save a life.
Demonstrating the recovery position
1. Recovery position
Knowing how to put someone in a recovery position and checking if their airway is clear is absolutely vital here as it is likely you will have to leave them to find further help.
There were lots of giggles at the beginning when the girls practised on one another, but by the end of the day everyone was able to remember the position perfectly.
2. Chest compressions
Once I taught the process behind CPR, each pair practiced using the doll my friend had brought over from the UK. It was brilliant seeing the pairs teaching one another, as they are more likely to remember what to do if they ever come across an emergency situation. Although CPR is difficult to do correctly, any attempt is better than nothing, especially as professional help is often many hours away.
3. Choking
Choking is very common in Nepal, as most meals containing meat have gristle and bones covered in a delicious curry sauce. Previously I have seen people give someone choking a short hit on the back of the neck, so it was great to finally tell them the right method!
4. Tending to a broken bone
With very uneven ground, physical work, and a lot of tree climbing to collect wood, broken bones are very common. There is usually a stretcher in most villages but the route is rough and usually down uneven steps, so carrying someone down is extremely awkward and dangerous too! Immobilising the limb is very important. Luckily here most girls wear a scarf, so there will always be a makeshift sling or leg cast to hand!
The girls and I in our slings
Their comments brought tears to my eyes
At the end of the session I asked everyone to write down some comments to help improve the next workshop. I’ve become so close to this community throughout my placement that reading over their thoughts brought tears to my eyes as I realised how much it meant to them.
Bhim Bahadur Dura’s kind words. Above he is practicing resuscitation.
"I really respect Judith. Despite her age (this really made me chuckle!), she is far more active than many of us. A few weeks ago, we had actually requested some training related to first aid and today Judith gave us what we were hoping for. Judith has been really inspirational and today’s training was really helpful. The tips we learnt today could be a life saver.”
Now to be shared across Lamjung
I was delighted at how well the session went, and even more proud when the teachers decided to share the various techniques learnt with the remainder of their school.
Knowing that these rural communities are able to deal with an emergency with the right techniques is a fantastic legacy for my time here. This is all thanks to your amazing support, so thank you so much for keeping the Little Sisters here safe.
Take care,
Judith
All photos: ©VSO/Suraj Shakya
