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Dr Sneh's Vietnam diary

Bupa International's medical director, Dr Sneh Khemka, was one of 20 volunteer doctors who took part in an expedition to set up temporary health clinics in north-western Vietnam.

Here you can read his account of the journey.

   

Dr Sneh's diary: End of the tour

The project is coming to an end. A boat trip is our overnight reward for the mission. The destination – Halong Bay, a secluded miracle of nature that nestles off the north east coast of Vietnam and which is rightly jostling to be recognised as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

I’ve spent the last eight days or so in the company of doctors, nurses, health workers, pharmacists, technicians, engineers, cameramen and students from Australia to the Czech Republic, Vietnam to Seattle. I’ve learnt from them all; from some, new medical and diagnostic skills; from others, a deeper recognition of compassion, and from others that true privilege is not something that is bestowed, but which is earned.

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Aquatic tactic

Although the villagers don’t think I’m a good doctor until I give them some pills, educating them about the danger of things like dehydration is still one of the most important aspects of the clinics.

I am seeing how a real community should function. Everyone has their place and does their own bit to sustain the group. Each person’s, or each family’s, role is clearly defined – some are the rice growers, some the chicken keepers, some the buffalo tenders. And each person accepts the allocated role and fulfils it, occupying an equal and respected place within society, not wanting or needing promotion. A legacy of Ho Chi Minh, I wonder?
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New medical agenda

Dr Sneh Khemka finds that the conditions he is used to treating back home are rare occurrences here in rural Vietnam.

It’s very refreshing. Every disease that we treat here is organic and not a manufactured by-product of society and its ills. People with joint issues have them because of sustained toiling in the paddy fields rather than carrying around excess kilos of adipose tissue.
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Bear essentials

As the expedition moves on to the next medical outpost, Dr Sneh Khemka is impressed with the work the group is achieving  - and happy that he brought a supply of teddy bears for the local children.

The locals have told us that we have brought with us much excitement and anticipation. Being in a very secluded part of the hills (very limited vehicular access and poverty line living) means that medical attention has not been even seen by 60% of the population. It also means that we are lined up for a busy day.
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Treating 376 patients in a day

The first of the temporary health clinics has been set up in the village of Hang Kia, where the local Hamong people rarely have contact with healthcare professionals.

Tarpaulins, candlelights and giant flying bugs signify the warm night as I sit beside a Vietnamese homestay writing this. We’re in the Mai Chau valley, in north-western Vietnam, and have had our first day of treating the local people for various ailments.
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Stuck in transit between Iceland and Vietnam

Having battled Iceland's raw climate, Dr Sneh Khemka enjoys a brief moment of tranquillity in a Bangkok airport lounge before the Vietnam project kicks off.

Airport lounges are interesting places. Almost like a comfortable limbo, they occupy that space in between anticipation and arrival, ensuring that on-edge passengers are kept as calm as possible, while still lacking in any degree of charm.
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Two adventures, two continents

Before Dr Sneh Khemka departs for his medical trek in Vietnam, he has one warm-up mission to complete: a six-day hiking trip across Iceland’s austere landscape to raise money for charity. In this first instalment of his diary for Bupa International’s website, Dr Sneh discusses the challenges ahead
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