Bowen Islanders Claire Weeks and Peter Wing are retired physicians who have worked in Vancouver to help people with new spinal cord injuries to recover and return to a productive and enjoyable life for many years. They have recently directed their efforts to assist people with a similar diagnosis but under very different circumstances: spinal cord injury patients in Nepal. On Saturday, November 10, at 7 p.m. at the Gallery at Artisan Square, they invite islanders to learn about the program and participate in a fundraising auction.
"We know that recovering from a spinal cord injury is a difficult path to follow as the patient returns home and tries to get back to work, even in a country like ours that offers support along the way," Wing said. "Imagine yourself with a new injury in a country just recovering from civil war, where home is hours walk from the nearest road, and where there are no doctors specializing in the care of people with spinal cord injury. There, physical disability can mean starvation - health care is expensive and there is very little support."
In 2009, the two doctors met a trained nurse working in spinal cord units in Asia who asked them whether they would consider to teach a course in Kathmandu. They said yes and, through that visit, met members of the Asian Spinal Cord Network. Observing some of the challenges that doctors and patients face in Nepal, Weeks and Wing decided to stay involved.
"Nepal seems stuck in political unrest and corruption," Weeks said. "A lot of the people with spinal cord injuries are women who fall out of trees. They climb up to collect food for their livestock. That is the leading cause for this kind of injury."
Interestingly enough, the second most common cause comes from the country's growing economy. "Now that they are a bit richer, every young man wants a motorbike and we saw a lot of people who've been in motorbikes accidents," Weeks said, adding that, in Nepal, people have to cover the full cost of their medical care, from an aspirin to surgery.
In an effort to make a difference for Nepalese patients, Weeks and Wing have been working with Nepalese, Canadian and Swiss colleagues at the Nepalese Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre that was opened in 2002 by Sir Edmund Hillary. Their common goal is to help develop a sustainable spinal cord injury system of care in Nepal. "One thing we can do as physicians is train physicians. That seems like a good fit," Weeks said, adding that they have found two local doctors who are interested in working in the area. "Now there are two committed young physicians in training who, we believe, can become teachers in the field of care of the injured spine and spinal cord. These two doctors have been selected locally and are keen and hardworking. Both come from underprivileged rural backgrounds." Both doctors are three to four years out of Nepalese medical schools. One of them, Dr Prakash Paudel, is now engaged in training as a neurosurgeon, the other, Dr Raju Dhakal, studies rehabilitation medicine, mirroring the careers of Wing and Weeks.
In finding suitable candidates, one of the criteria was the willingness to work in Nepal. "It was important to find people who are committed to staying in Nepal," Weeks said. "There is always that fear when you are training specialists and you bring them to the west, that they don't go home again." That is one of the reasons why Dr. Prakash is trained in Pakistan and Dr. Raju in Bangladesh, places that are also likely to use similar equipment that the doctors have available in Nepal.
The proceeds from the fundraising event on Bowen Island will go toward sponsorship of the two doctors (donations are eligible for tax receipts and can be made at http://spinepal.med.ubc.ca). They have also brought back a number of Nepali crafts as auction items: striking handmade textile items made from Tibetan aprons, as well as bags, cushion covers, some pashmina scarves and a small quantity of ethnic jewelry. Tickets are available at Phoenix for $20.
