As we welcomed nurses from Myanmar to Laos, our Lao staff worried whether the food would suit the tastes of their guests. However, our Myanmarese nurses were pleasantly surprised to enjoy cuisine similar to what they eat back home in northern Myanmar, near the Laos border. Also, they were able to quickly learn Lao from the Lao staff due to the similarities in language.
Our Myanmarese nurse was interested in the Lao uniform and exclaimed that she wanted to wear it. I was overwhelmed by her inquisitiveness and desire to learn. I felt the hidden and curious connection of cultures, even across borders.
Our Laos office is located in the capital of Vientiane and we have to travel to Oudomxay by air for one hour. When 8 staff members travel together, it feels a bit like taking a trip.
For our Laos activities, we provide thyroid treatments at Oudomxay Province Hospital. Our project aims to transfer surgical expertise, medical treatment, and thyroid nursing. Since Laos is a landlocked country it is difficult to obtain marine products and many of the thyroid problems are related to a lack of iodine. Every time we put on a medical consultation many patients new and old come for examination. Some patients come from distant areas by bus or motorbike which can take 6-8 hours!
A lot of the patients who travel these long distances complain about dizziness from the vibrations of the bus or bike. They rush to attend our clinic before it closes and often sits tired at the end of their travel.
I often think about such patients’ feelings and I wish that they had access to hospitals closer to where they live. Therefore, we try to give the most considerate medical treatment to patients who come to our medical practice. This November we treated 87 patients.
One and a half years have passed since this project started and now local nurses are able to observe the symptoms of thyroid patients.
When Laos, Myanmar, and Japanese nurses work together, we benefit from the international richness that we each bring. It is wonderful to be able to help each other across borders, and I feel the joy of peace when I am involved with these activities. This is the heart of international activities. I love to see how our technology and knowledge are taking root in Oudomxay.
Longterm Volunteer Nurse, Konami Teruko