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Khon Kaen, ThailandJan 12, 2005
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We arrived by bus, and Noi took us to the marvellous Sofitel...
We visited Khon Kaen University -- Noi is on Faculty, in a...
This is the entrance to the hospital -- well designed and well...
| I ended up here because I knew that I could see Noi, who had worked in our department for 2 years. This visit was a big surprise, for me. We stayed in the Sofitel - a 5 star hotel in Khon Kaen, and operated at a loss. The hotel is beautiful, the room we were in was outstanding, and the ambiance was exceptional -- and Thai. I did a presentation for the residentson management of fluid and electrolytes in children. They were nervous - about 10 females, and one male. The Medical School started in 1972. The MD program is 6 years. The buildings for basic sciences, clinical sciences and hospital are all in close proximity - the hospital is funded by the ministry of education, and not health. The buildings are very functional, and the environment is pleasant. The medical school class will expand to 250 next year, and all students do a 4 week rotation in anesthesia. There are 18 residents in the anesthesia program, and about 30 nurse anesthetists. Staff anesthesiologists always have someone with them. I met the Department Head, the Assistant and Associate Dean for International Education, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, as well as many department members. I met as many Faculty people in one day as I met in Singapore in 2 months. We had dinner with the residents one night, and dinner with senior faculty on another evening. Darlene went around the hospital with one of the nurses - there are 100 bird ventilators, and patients are ventilated everywhere on the wards. Every ward has an assigned doctor to be available to help with problems, and the med students do emergency laboratory testing in labs located in each specialty area. Noi showed me the circuits that are used by the staff -- home made, changed regularly, and used with filters. The anesthetic machines have flowmeters with oxygen on either side, so you must pay close attention to the gas concentrations. There are the usual burdens associated with government regulation and limitations of costs, but the system seems to work well. There are many homeless dogs on the streets in Khon Kaen. They are not afraid of people, and they are generally not skinny; it seems they get fed. Once a year all of these dogs are rounded up, and they are vaccinated. This atmosphere of tolerance for these creatures is admirable, and there is a peacefulness and a gentleness that is enjoyable to experience. |
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