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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.

Unique experiences

Let me share with you some of the more noteworthy of the incidents. The first to come to mind is the childless couple, the wife being brave enough to consult us in the first place. Married for 10 years and still unsuccessful, they were ready to give up. But after persevering with two interpreters and a rather awkward examination of the husband, we established that there was no physical issue – just one of sex education and understanding that the navel wasn’t a route to pregnancy.

Quickly follows the young man with the false eye. He lost it after a motorcycle accident, and I took much delight in frightening the gathered students and volunteers when, after they had failed to make the diagnosis, I removed it to their recoiling shock. The patient and I shared a confidential laugh once the others were gone.

The 14 year old girl with the massively enlarged spleen. She’d never seen a doctor, and thought the pain she was experiencing under the left side of her ribcage was normal. But the inflamed lymph nodes and general poor weight were markers of something more sinister. On explaining the need to the girl’s grandmother for her to attend a good hospital in Hanoi for further tests, we were told that they could not afford it. Later that day, our Vietnamese volunteer colleagues dug deep into their pockets, found the girl in the village, and made sure she had the funds she needed.

Countless little stories, some of which we shared with each other over a beer in the evening, some of which we kept for ourselves, are the notches that have etched this trip deep in my mind. Perhaps I have benefited and learnt more than any of my patients. Perhaps our mere medical presence in the area will slowly change the health journey that future generations experience. Perhaps my blog will inspire just one other person to do something similar in another part of the globe.

Looking beyond the tour

In our era of renewed social consciousness, I think that this sort of activity may well be the future of travel. Visiting a country just to look at museums and attractions will be the reserve of a few; generation Y and the Millenials will look to bringing something positive to the countries they choose to visit, volunteering to bring healthcare, education or manual skills.

My thanks go to those who have organised this tour, including the Seattle Community College Programme, Buffalo Tours of Vietnam, and indeed Bupa International, whose sponsorship has shown the social responsibility of a global company truly concerned with health.

Next steps