It rained yesterday! It was like manna from heaven as it had been stiflingly hot in the early morning... The rain is so gentle though....it kisses your skin as opposed to the battering you get in an English downpour.

In the morning I was in one of the villages mentoring my "pupil" during his health education lesson... So proud of him! After the session, I held an open clinic for anyone with any health concerns... Cases included an old lady who was convinced she had been poisoned by some traditional medicinal treatment (taken from tree bark) by one of the village "healers"... Don't think we covered poisoning in the DTN course did we ?? But given she had taken the medicine 3 weeks ago and was not getting worse and in truth, she appeared as fit as a fiddle, I did my best to reassure her after doing some basic obs/physical assessments. They LOVE the stethescope bit!!! One of the main problems in the villages is mental health... Most likely stemming from the aftermath of Pol Pot...there is also a big issue with domestic violence . The Buddhist monks (who are the most highly respected of anyone in society) do occasionally deliver talks on the subject in these rural villages, but there is clearly much work which needs to be done for the psychological well being of these people. There is deep rooted mistrust of other people in these communities owing to the past, and women do not seek or give each other emotional support. The families are fractured with most people living with a cousin or brother/sister rather than their parents; there are hardly any old people... At least 50% of the population was annihilated during the Khmer Rouge era. Consequently life skills we are so used to picking up from our parents and grandparents, are an unknown quantity for rural Cambodians. They have hardly any idea about food/personal/domestic hygiene because no older person was around to teach by example. 

The little girl who is due to have her heart op this week was very withdrawn when I saw her yesterday and one can only but imagine what must be going through her mind at the moment. The good news is the Singapore team doing the op are also going to arrange for her to stay in an apartment after her op for several months (with her family)... At least there is now a chance she will make a good recovery compared to the high risks associated with her going back to live in a palm leaf hut surrounded by animals etc. What other things have I seen on the medical front? Baby with pneumonia who was pretty sick (the lecture on wood fires in the home is hugely pertinent for this country), all the expected skin & nutrional complaints associated with extreme poverty and worms. Nothing challenging (dare I speak too soon???). On the way to BFT this morning, we got caught up in a funeral cortege for one of the children from the school nearby. To see first hand the lighting of a funeral pyre is quite thought provoking. There are so many funerals here. Strange to think in a week we will be returning to England. Best not to think about that at the moment actually!