All Together Now International

Interviews with Nyima and Jigme

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Greetings from Nepal! Interviews with Nyima and Jigme

NYIMA (age 25): "I went to my village Zhido a year ago. There is no e-mail there which is why I had no contact with Jennifer. It was very hard to go back to the village hospital – the Zhido Tibetan Hospital, as we only ever studied from books and this was my first practical experience. Tod diagnose illnesses was the hardest. The doctors were all very nice to us and showed and taught me many new things like different ways to check the pulse. But in my village I saw that ONE doctor can do so many things and help many people! First he checked a pulse, then I did the same and he corrected me. In the 1st month I helped to make medicines and in the second month I stayed with the doctor to see the patients. So alternatively making powder and pills from Tibetan herbs and assisting the doctor was my job. In the summer we'd walk to many different remote villages. For example, one day on the truck and then walk and then stay there for a week, pick medical herbs and flowers and see patients.
This past year we studied the writings of earlier doctors and we'd ask the friends who are still alive and their descendants and so we made 15 totally new medicines – for arthritis, stomach, headache and migraine – one to strengthen old people and liver medicine and especially the liver medicine is very very good! These medicines used to be made only by doctors from my hometown – other villages didn't have this so after digging out the old books we revived the knowledge. The things I learnt this past year:

1.. How to diagnose patients by reading their pulse and urine, check the lungs via stethoscope.
2.. I can give different kinds of injections in different parts of the body now and I can give drips.
3.. In my village most sicknesses are arthritis and headache. The doctor there does a kind of acupuncture but injects Chinese medicines on the temples and the head and in the knees. That helps a lot. I saw this many times and think I could do this too. They also use the hot iron.
4.. I learnt to patiently interview the patent. For example, when did the illness start? How long have you had it? How did it happen? Have you eaten any medicine in the past? Did it help you?
At the end of my first year as a doctor I got 200 Yuan prize money. Now I hope to go back to my village and work with the doctor there but more independently. I will stay with friends – thus don't have to pay rent. My mother lives in another village very far away, my father is dead.

I enjoyed this past year very much. In ten years from now I see myself as a very good doctor, married with one or two children in my village!

When I was in America Jennifer and her family and everyone there were all very nice to me and they all helped me so I cannot forget them and send them thousands of thanks and will do that throughout all my life! I would
love to go back and see you all in the USA one day!"

JIGME (age 19): "I am now in class 8 – the vocational training part of the class (not the medical part). I will study here 2 more years. I learn English, Tibetan and Chinese. After I finish I think I'm going to be an English Teacher. I would love to teach in this very school. I don't want to be a doctor but I help the ROKPA – doctors from Canada who come here every year. I translate for them. I would also like to be a translator. I may have to do further studies to be a Teacher. I love this school – if I was not in school I would not learn anything – but this way I learn what helps me now and in the future. When I think about my year in the USA I think I had a very great time there and everyone helped me so much! I would like to thank Jennifer who helped me so much and also all the Teachers and doctors and all my friends at school and everywhere there. I had a great time. I would love to go back to the USA and study more English and when I come back
I can help more people by teaching them English!"

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