Community Health

Due to my interest and background in public health, I was eager to learn about the Tansen Hospital community health program. During the last two weeks of my time here in Tansen, I have been able to spend several days observing community health activities.

Chapter One: Town Clinic
The Town Clinic is a primary health care center operated jointly by Tansen Mission Hospital Community Health Program and the Nepali Ministry of Health. The clinic is housed in the District Hospital, an old, sturdy-looking building on the far side of the bazaar, in a section of town I had not seen previously. Staffed by nurses, the Town Clinic provides maternal and child health services to families who live in Tansen proper, including well-baby check-ups, immunizations, prenatal care, and family planning.

I was amazed at the number of women who showed up and paid money for preventive care and public health services. The waiting room was packed by 10 AM. I spent the morning seeing babies with Mana, the head nurse – very cute, healthy, happy babies. We did a complete physical exam, and Mana counseled each mother on proper nutrition, hygiene, and immunizations. In the afternoon, I worked with the antenatal team – taking blood pressures, measuring women’s bellies (to check the baby’s size), listening to babies’ hearts with a fetoscope (old fashioned version of our modern day dopplers) and checking for edema or other problems. The nurses also counsel women about contraception and HIV/AIDS and see minor acute childhood illnesses, such as colds and diarrhea. Overall, it was a very pleasant day and quite educational.