Lalit is proving to be a wonderful guide, culturally, geographically and logistically. He has given us a comprehensive insight into the world we are about to enter from today, Kalikot district.
As you can tell from the map, we have truly entered territory where very little English is spoken.
Sunday 9th January, we arrive at a day walking from Manma, after a 7hr car journey through the windy hills, where bits of tarmac are entwined with long stretches of bumpy gravel and sporadic villages. Look to the bottom left corner of the map, to locate Manma, just off the map.
Monday 10th January, we will be walking to Manma, where we will be based for 4 days, still bottom left on the map.
This is where MSF's headquarters were based. To give you an idea, for women and men needing healthcare, living both East and North East of the town of Manma, it's a 2 to 3 day walk over very mountainous terrain. If you are a pregnant woman and your waters have just broken, you do not want to have a two day walk over the mountains before reaching a doctor. Your only option is to stay put, with no physical way of accessing healthcare from your home.
Access to healthcare for all those in these areas therefore still remains very limited, terribly constrained by the geographic alienation of each village. And this is also the case for many people in Nepal.
We will be visiting as many of these villages as possible surrounding Manma on foot in the course of our mission, to determine the other causes which make access to healthcare near to impossible for them.
In the meantime, why not try walking for two days to get to your GP for a check up...we recommend good walking boots.
As you can tell from the map, we have truly entered territory where very little English is spoken.
Sunday 9th January, we arrive at a day walking from Manma, after a 7hr car journey through the windy hills, where bits of tarmac are entwined with long stretches of bumpy gravel and sporadic villages. Look to the bottom left corner of the map, to locate Manma, just off the map.
Monday 10th January, we will be walking to Manma, where we will be based for 4 days, still bottom left on the map.
This is where MSF's headquarters were based. To give you an idea, for women and men needing healthcare, living both East and North East of the town of Manma, it's a 2 to 3 day walk over very mountainous terrain. If you are a pregnant woman and your waters have just broken, you do not want to have a two day walk over the mountains before reaching a doctor. Your only option is to stay put, with no physical way of accessing healthcare from your home.
Access to healthcare for all those in these areas therefore still remains very limited, terribly constrained by the geographic alienation of each village. And this is also the case for many people in Nepal.We will be visiting as many of these villages as possible surrounding Manma on foot in the course of our mission, to determine the other causes which make access to healthcare near to impossible for them.
In the meantime, why not try walking for two days to get to your GP for a check up...we recommend good walking boots.
No comments:
Post a Comment