Arriving the day after a 6.9 earthquake shook the Kathmandu valley, Acupuncture Relief Project volunteers were uncertain as to what might await them. Fortunately the damage in the Kathmandu valley was fairly minor, unlike the 8.4 earthquake that killed an estimated 30,000 people in this region in 1934.
Volunteer practitioners Stacey Kett, Danielle Lombardi and Felicity Woebkenberg under the guidance of ARP team leader Andrew Schlabach safely arrived at the Vajra Varahi Clinic to the warm smiles of our Nepali family of friends and staff. The next couple days they worked through their haze of jet-lag to unpack the nearly 500lbs of supplies they brought and to prepare the clinic for operation. The volunteers also spent a half day learning to work with the Vajra Varahi Clinic interpreting staff and practiced the process of conducting medical interviews though an interpreter. After all of the preparation was complete they opened the doors Wednesday, September 21st to a flood of patients happy to see them.
Even after only a few days they have already seen many cases of Parkinson's Disease, typhoid sequela, stroke sequela and lots of musculoskeletal complaints. Everyone has been working hard to adapt to the new environment and rigorous work load while managing to stay healthy (even after a rather dramatic leech attack) and they are looking forward to the many weeks and challenges that lay ahead of them.
This year our practitioners will be seeing patients at our primary site in Chapagaon as well as traveling to two remote treatment sites in Godavari and Sipidol.
Felicity Woebkenberg works with interpreter Tsering to treat a Newari woman with knee pain.
Stacey Kett reviews an MRI scan of a Nepali woman suffering from severe headaches after having Typhiod fever.
Danielle Lombardi interviews a Nepali Woman a the Vajra Varahi Clinic.