Thai team on mission to ease Bhutanese medical problems

The medical volunteers were in Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, to examine and treat patients of ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases. They also treated, re-examined and conducted operations on screened cases by hospitals.
The team, known as the Thai Friendship Medical Mission for ENT, treated 1,007 ENT-related infections in central and western Bhutan in their latest visit. Out of the total, 62 underwent ENT surgery. They also issued 29 hearing aids.
“This time while the camp was at Wangdue, people from Paro and Thimphu also came to us,” camp coordinator Wanwipa G Suwan said.
Exposure to cold and dust is the main cause of ENT diseases in the country, according to the Thai specialists.
ENT specialist Dr Phakdee Sannikorn said weather and environment are the most common causes of ENT diseases in Bhutan. “ENT is most common in cold places.”
While Bhutan has ample immunisation programmes to prevent infections at an early age, eating healthy food can help reduce ENT diseases among adults. The specialist advised Bhutanese to eat foods containing more carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits to build a stronger immune system.
“They must also keep themselves warm,” Phakdee said.
The team is also helping a class 12 student from Paro with cochlea implantation. “She has no other way of hearing, it has to be through implantation,” Wanwipa said.
The team has also helped the Health Ministry train a Bhutanese physician to help the student use the cochlea implantation device. Cochlear implantation device is an electronic medical device that helps provide sound signals to the brain for damaged nerves of the inner ear.
Wanwipa said hole in ear was the most common of ENT diseases among the Bhutanese. The hole in ear is caused by prolonged infection not treated at an early stage. This happens because of lack of understanding between allergy and infection.
While an allergy is like rashes, ENT condition is with the organ related to nose, ear and throat.
“People need to be educated about ENT at an early age,” she said. “They must see doctors at the earliest when there is an infection.”
Meanwhile, the team suffered numerous hurdles in getting over 700 kilograms of their mobile medical equipment through the airlines. A little bit of ease in getting our baggage would go a long way in helping the Bhutanese ENT patients, the coordinator said.
“The health minister has asked us to come back and next year we will probably camp in Trongsa [in central Bhutan],” Wanwipa said.