13867 RGS ONA Magazine 84_v 09/01/2012 15:02 Page 8
Peter Westwood on a mountain trek in Nepal
Namaste! A Medical Elective in Nepal It was a nervous wait for 6th July 2011; Results Day. My fourth year medical exams were the hardest yet and the thought of not being able to go on my elective filled me with complete dread. Fortunately, I passed and all the preparation for my elective, the flights, organising the hospital and accommodation was all worth it; next stop Kathmandu, Nepal! By Peter Westwood (98-05) 8
F
irst of all, here are some facts about Nepal. It is a land-locked country, between two Asian giants, China and India and has a population of about 30 million. It is located in the Himalayas and therefore has eight out of the top ten tallest mountains in the world, including the tallest, Mount Everest. Nepalis are very religious with Hinduism and Buddhism traditions being followed by the majority of the country. Nepal is one of the world’s poorest countries and so healthcare, both in terms of expenditure on health and the size of the workforce fall well short of the regional average. Finally, the life expectancy is hovering around the mid-sixties for both sexes, so it is a challenging environment in the world of healthcare.
