Kathmandu, april 2005

Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC)

From November 2004 until January 2005, I’ve been working as a volunteer for Cross Borders in HRDC (Hospital and Rehabilitation centre for disabled Children), an orthopedic hospital for children in Banepa. My background is occupational therapist. It was a special experience. I was allowed to see all the different departments, even the operation theatre! That was very impressive.

HRDC is a developed hospital with a good staff. Because of that, the language and culture differences and my lack of experiences I unfortunately couldn’t do much as an occupational therapist. Instead of that I’ve played a lot with the children and have taught them some English. But it was a good and instructive experience and I really liked spending time with those brave and sweet children.

For the next volunteers, Annemarie and Else, Cross Borders has found a more suitable placement, The Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Jorpati. The stories of the patients are horrible. Many people fell out of a tree during wood cutting. There are two policemen who are disabled because of the bombs and bullets of Maoists.

This centre has an occupational therapy department, which is very special because Nepal doesn’t educate occupational therapists. Shyam who works there is not an occupational therapist, but a medical assistant. He has learnt the profession from somebody from Bangladesh and through self-study. So I went there for one week to help him a little bit.

The occupational department is more extensive than I expected. There is material to exercise handfunction. Shyam didn’t know what everything was and why it was useful, so I’ve explained that a little bit. There is a bedroom where they can practise transfers and even a small kitchen! Friday is ‘cooking day’ and because it was nice weather we’ve cooked noodles outside with the patients. It was a good practise for handfunction and to learn how to handle a wheelchair.

Splints and expedients are mostly made by the orthopedic department. It would be a good thing if Shyam also learns how to make them.

So unfortunately I could only stay for one week. The Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre is a perfect placement to work as an occupational therapist on voluntary basis. And also other medical professionals such as physiotherapists and psychologists are more than welcome.

Maybe something for you?

Mirjam Vendrig

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