Framlinghamian 2022 - Flipbook - Page 148
RECENT LEAVERS
The team at 5700m
RECENT LEAVERS
KAT TWENTYMAN (P09-14)
TRIP TO THE INDIAN
HIMALAYAS
Kat reports on an amazing trip to Indian
Himalayas as part of her medical elective,
which was partly made possible by financial
support from the SOF. Kat writes: “This
August I travelled to northernmost India
to complete my medical elective. As part
of my elective I trekked with a group to
deliver healthcare to the villages of the
Zanskar Valley in the Indian Himalayas.
These villages are cut off in the mountains
for 7 months a year due to harsh weather
conditions making routes in and out
impassable. As such the healthcare
available is relatively limited - the nearest
hospital is 3 days travel away! We had
to complete a strenuous hike to even get
into the valley (reaching about 5700m at
the highest point), and then once in the
valley we alternated days between hiking
between villages and delivering clinics. I
worked in a team of about 20 healthcare
professionals, ranging from medical
students to consultants, that provided
a basic health service tailored to the
population’s medical needs. The medical
care was wide-ranging and could be most
closely compared to general practice.
Common conditions that we saw included
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THE FRAMLINGHAMIAN 2019
musculoskeletal problems stemming from
the hard-manual labour of most villagers’
livelihoods, and irritant eye problems as a
result of excessive exposure to dust or UV
light. In such an extreme environment the
service was necessarily basic, with limited
medicines and equipment, compared to
western health services. Nonetheless, this
is a valuable service that provides health
support in an area where provision is
Looking down into the valley
sparse. The elective was a really great
opportunity to experience a challenging
environment, see first-hand how this affects
the health of those who live there and try to
address these issues effectively. I also got to
see some stunning scenery and meet lots of
wonderful and kind people. Thank you very
much to the OFs for your generous support
in this endeavour.”