Nepal Trip 2009
By Derrick Selby | November 9, 2009
In February 2009, Derrick & Susan Selby undertook their fifth trip with International Nepal Fellowship (www.inf.org), a Christian mission which has been involved in Nepal since the early 1950's. Our very own Kate King joined the team for the first time, having been warned to bring plenty of chocolate! We use our medical experience to contribute to the mobile surgical ministry, in particular the provision of gynaecological services to the women who live in the remote western regions.
This year's mission was based in Jajarkot, a little village that clings to the side of a mountain so steep that the road runs out short of the town. This necessitated some walking to reach our destination and the use of mule trains to transport hospital equipment.
The Nepali contingent of our team had arrived a few days before us and had been busy setting up. Many women queued outside the outpatients from the first day. At the end of the camp, 647 women had been seen in outpatients and 74 had undergone surgery.
Susan worked alongside Dr Teem-Wing Yip from Alice Springs in OPD; Derrick, working with surgeons from New Zealand and the UK, was assisted by Shelley Roberts, an Adelaide nursing sister. The post-operative ward was supervised by Kate, who set herself the challenge of returning to ward nursing.
Most of the team including Kate stayed in the only hotel in town - a 40 minute walk from the hospital. Derrick and Susan stayed on the hospital grounds in case of a midnight emergency and no mules! Meals, consisting of rice and dahl, were prepared by local families.
The poverty in Nepal is relentless, a situation that is unlikely to change for some time. It is a great privilege to bring God's love to these quiet and humble people and we hope to be able to continue to serve in this way.
