Medical Update: 28th June 2014
Our June medical visit was very exciting as for the first time ever we were able to have 2 dedicated medical teams visit two separate locations on the same day. Dave kindly donated two 4×4 trucks that were necessary to be able to reach the villages. To access these villages we had to drive through dense jungle and cross rivers.
Our two teams were visiting Pala u Noi and Bon Luk.
Pala u Noi
When we arrived in Pala u Noi we assembled into 3 medical teams which included a doctor, nurse and a translator. We were able to attend and assist all families needing healthcare assistance. At Pala u Noi we treated many patients, some of which had hernia complications, bronchitis and stomach ulcers. Several of these patients will have follow up treatments at Hua Hin hospital. We were also delighted to catch up with To To and Nong Dee during our visit to the village.
An assessment of the village was completed obtaining up to date details about the village, land issues and some new developments since our last visit. The village leader and several strong women from the village worked closely with our team informing us with any new concerns or issues in the village. A tour was taken to map out the toilets currently used by 200 people, the vegetable garden and the current condition of the houses. All children in the village under 16 years old are now attending school apart from two 12 years olds. These 2 children will be seen next time to see if support can be given to the families so they can attend school.
Water Pump Project
On our last visit to Pala u Noi, one of our volunteers identified that a pump was needed to be able to efficiently get water from the river up to water tanks in the village. Andres spent many hours testing different methods to put together a pump that would withstand the weather and be cost effective. After lots of hard work with several local men from the village, we managed to dig and lay the pipes in the ground. The pump was successfully installed and we watched with great anticipation and delight as the water rushed through the pipes filling the water tank. Well done Anders for all your time and hard work testing and successfully putting together the pump and water tank system.
We had amazing support from our translators without which none of this would be possible. Thanks to Yui, Thu and Eh Eh.
Bon Luk
We left Hua Hin at 6am to get a full working day at Bon Luk. At Bon Luk we divided into two groups with a doctor, medical student and translator. We attended to 35 patients mostly with worms and allergies. There were many children and pregnant women whom were also seen to. The Jungle Aid volunteer doctor treated a four-year-old boy who had broken his ribs in a fall. A gentleman was delighted to be given glasses, he can finally see clearly after struggling for a long time.
Our second team assisted in the village assessment where they spoke with the villagers, a schoolteacher and assistant at the village clinic. At Bon Luk we saw an entrepreneurial initiative from one of the villagers who has invested his own money to buy a pair of pigs. He plans to rear the pigs.
He has also cleared a large patch of land for growing fruits and vegetables. We were shown the pond where he is breeding the cat fish and we were delighted with the many stories of his previous experience with breeding livestock and growing crops. One of the volunteers assisted him with the initial outlay to buy 2,000 small cat fish. In return, he has agreed to provide the village with fish.
or at a heavily subsidized price to families who are unable to afford food. He also offered his land for cultivation to any villager who might be willing to do so. We will be following up on this during our future trips.
All but 10 children of school age attend school or day care. They are helping their families with some extra income. This will be followed up to see if support can be given to get them to school. Clinic assistant’s assessment of general health condition of villagers is average. We will be making our own assessments on this at a future visit.
From the interviews, we also identified three top priorities that the villagers agreed to. It was encouraging to see that these priorities are in sync with Jungle Aid’s vision of making them self sufficient and improving their skills. Strategies / plans will be formed in consultation with Jungle Aid board and teams.
Over 200 books were made from recycled paper by some of our volunteers. These books were donated to the local children and schools where they can utilise them to assist in their learning journey in the classroom. The children were delighted and showed great pride when they received the books.
An amazing day was had by all…
