I hope you have enjoyed hearing from students from around the world. The last blog entry today is from Rob Hughes, a UK medical student who is currently on a final year elective placement in Sierra Leone. He reports from there—Rhona A maternity ward in Sierra Leone

“First they must pay… One hundred and seventy thousand Leones for the operation fee… twenty-five thousand for medicines… one gallon of diesel - thirteen thousand five hundred for that - and a litre of oil… after that we will call the doctor in.” [Nurse at Kambia District Hospital]

I cannot imagine just how scary childbirth must be… especially here in Sierra Leone where the maternal mortality ratio is amongst the highest in the world, (variously estimated to be between 1300 and 2000 maternal deaths per 100000 live births). But I can see that if complications arise - as they often do amongst a population of young mothers, with a high fertility rate, little birth spacing and limited antenatal care - the last thing you need is to have to come up with a sum of money more than most people’s monthly income before you get the caesarean section you need. It may not seem like a vast sum to those of us from the UK and other rich countries - around £35GBP in total ($70USD) - but here, now, where the harvest season is months away, and the only bank has only been open for a few months it is an undeniable barrier to access to care, especially for the poorest. At best it means delayed urgent treatment, and at worst it means mothers get abandoned at the hospital by families who either cannot pay, or are afraid of the bankrupting effect of ill health.

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Heather Finlay-Morreale in Ohio, USA, introduces herself and gives a news round up—Rhona

Hello, I’m Heather Finlay-Morreale. This is the first of several blog entries, so let me introduce myself. I attend the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio, US. Cincinnati is 15 minutes from Kentucky and is a 4-6 hour drive to Chicago or Detroit. I grew up in Boston and went to Northeastern University there. Then I lived in San Francisco about 6 ½ years and worked at the University of California San Francisco. So, after living on the East and West coast, I am now living in the middle.

I worked as a scientist in basic and clinical research and in wildlife veterinary medicine before coming to medical school. I also worked with children, studied yoga and travelled. I am interested in emergency medicine. In particular care of traumatic injuries and care of women and underserved populations. This summer I went to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital at the Ghana Medical School in Accra, Ghana. 

NEWS:

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Now over to Mohammad Rakibul Hasan (Rakib) who takes an indepth look at the recent floods in Bangladesh—Rhona

 Rakib

Hello, I am Rakib. I am studying M Phil in Biochemistry at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am very happy to get involved with The Lancet Student. In fact, I had been always enthusiastic to share my ideas and experiences with medical students and doctors from other countries.

Let me tell you about the recent flood situation of Bangladesh. Did you notice floods in Bangladesh in the news headlines recently, say, on last August or September? Flood affects South Asia including Bangladesh almost every year due to heavy monsoon rains along the Ganges valley. That’s why Bangladeshi flood becomes headline news quite frequently. Obviously, this is not the only tale about Bangladesh! If you visit Bangladesh, you will never forget the warm hospitality of Bangladeshis and the enchanting greenery of the nature!

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Today’s blogs are from a few of our correspondents from around the world. First, here is Suvash Shrestha from Nepal who tells us all about the Dashain festival and its potential effects on health-Rhona

From Dashain

Hello friends, I am Suvash Shrestha. I am a final year student, MBBS, from Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal, Kathmandu, Nepal. These days, its festival time here in Nepal. People all over the country are celebrating the biggest festival of the year - Dashain. So, I wish to point out some issues regarding the festivals and their impact over our health.

Nepal, besides its natural beauty, is also a land of cultural diversity and festivals. There are countless ethnic groups and festivals. Dashain, Tihar are just some of the major national ones. Each festival has its own rituals for celebration. But one thing is common with all of them - the special cuisines and delicacies prepared specially for these occasions.

During festivals, meat, alcohol and sweets make the main items which are unfortunately not so health friendly. Thousands of goats, chicken, bulls are slaughtered on the name of holy sacrifice to god. The alcoholic beverages sales soar up high, many times of the usual rate. So is the case with sweets. On the contrary the consumption of vegetables dips down. So, it’s very clear how unbalanced and unhealthy the dietary practice is during the time of joy and merry making.

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