Namaste from Kathmandu

After my last post from Abu Dhabi, I was upgraded to Business Class on the aeroplane to Kathmandu, which made the flight much more enjoyable!  I arrived in Kathmandu yesterday evening about 8pm, where I eventually found a sign for 'Stuarto Barfield'. My taxi took me through the darkened streets to my hotel, which is in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the very touristy Thamel region.

Despite the constant noise from barking dogs, tooting horns, engines and shouting, and the warm and humid conditions, I slept well, waking woke up in time for a tepid shower before breakfast. Dr Yogendra kindly invited me into his room - very similar to mine - were he and his mother sat for breakfast. I ate spicey potatoes, toast, a very sweet pancake-like food (a local food which I was reassured was not widely available unless you knew where to go) and some sort of omelette.

Dr Yogendra is a GP based at the teaching hospital next to Kanti Children's Hospital (KCH) where I will working. After breakfast, he offered me a lift in on the back of his motorbike, and we started the interesting journey there. He assured me that as he delt in A&E, he didn't drive fast, which was true, although the constant swerving, tooting and avoiding potholes made the journey very different to in the UK!

In the hospital, I was introduced to Dr Kailash, who has been my contact so far. I went on a ward round, seeing one oncology patient, as well as nephrotic syndrome, enteric fever and perhaps most memorably a boy of about 8 with raised ICP. I was asked many questions, most of which I either didn't understand or didn't know the answers to ('what is the Jones criteria for rheumatic fever?'). I was however asked to go back to the boy with raised ICP and explain to two of the other students on the ward round how to determine his GCS. I later found out they were interns, i.e. first year doctors, and then became unsure whether I was supposed to be teaching them, or being tested. I'm still not quite sure!  Either way, he was in a bad way, and we found his GCS was 6.

I came back with Dr Yogendra about 2pm, and was given a tour of the local area by a young man who works in the hotel. I started reading but fell asleep due to the combination of humidity and jet-lag, and went out for dinner in a place called Nigerla, which served a middle-eastern style meat and potato/vegetables in a fahjita (sic?) wrap. In the restaurant I met a medical student from Melbourne, Yan, who is also based at KCH and staying in the same hotel, so it was nice chatting to someone else in my position!

Anyway, I am due in about 9am tomorrow, and I think I will walk there (40mins). I think I will end up having most afternoons free, during which I may attend Dr Yogendra's clinic, or enjoy the free time! I also have to plan somethings to do this weekend!