Last time we introduced Dr Daochan, a doctor at Oudomxay Hospital, which is Japan Heart’s main activity site in Laos. This time, we interviewed Ms. Khonelee, a nurse who also works at Oudomxay Hospital. Like doctors, nurses are vital to the success of our activities. We asked what kind of things she learned and her impressions working with Japan Heart. Please check it out!
Q1. Please introduce yourself.
A1. My name is Khonelee Phengsavath. I am an outpatient nurse at Oudomxay Hospital. I am responsible for hygiene care and pre and postoperative nursing care.
Q2. What is your main role in Japan Heart’s activities?
A2. There are two main roles I have. The first is checking vitals and blood work as part of the health check for medical treatment. The second is nursing care for thyroid disease patients before and after surgery.
Q3. How much did you know about thyroid disease before working with Japan Heart?
A3. Nothing. I didn’t have any experience with thyroid disease.
Q4. How long have you been working with Japan Heart and what have you learned during that time?
A4. It has been about three years so far. I have learned how to check vital signs and recognise symptoms in patients. I have also learned nursing care in the recovery room and surgical ward before and after thyroid surgery. Additionally, I was able to learn about the basic symptoms of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and euthyroid sick syndrome and the types of drugs used for treatment.
Q5. What kind of medical activities do you want to do with Japan Heart in the future?
Currently, medical activities are scheduled for two days per month. Under this situation the number of patients can overflow and you may not realise it. I think it would be ideal if the number of days could be increased to three or four.
Dr Daochan from the previous interview and Ms. Khonelee play a central role in supporting the activities of Japan Heart in Oudomxay Hospital. After working with Japan Heart for about three years, Ms. Khonelee can not only work independently, but can also notice mistakes and give guidance to other nurses. This knowledge transfer is one of the goals of Japan Heart and we hope that this wonderful flow will spread to the next generation and save many patients.
With the help of Ms. Khonelee’s skilled nursing, we are able to continue to provide high quality medical care during the absence of our usual staff.
Interviewer: Big (Japan Heart Laos, Domestic PR)
Japanese translation: Urara Hirata (Japan Heart Laos Intern)
Editor: Tomoya Sugiyama (Japan Heart Laos Business Representative)
English Translation: Japan Heart Cambodia PR