Laos National Tree Planting Day ....

.... so we planted 25 fruit trees at the hospital, this fruit bat is looking forward to them maturing

Friday at work

Winding down for the weekend so a chance for some pictures!
We have a new pharmacist from Canada, beautiful Shayna who is sorting, training and we've decided to organise a talent competition, Shayna thinks i'll be a good Simon Cowell, obviously she hasn't seen my twin Craig Revell Horwood!
A new set of mai bhans looking fab dressed in their new purple uniforms
Nathalie from Australia running the lab is great fun to have around.
The doctors were teaming up, 3 doctors for 1 patient, that's special treatment.
And best bit, Somlith and Peng motorbiking off to get the football snacks

Lao Friends Hospital for children is getting busier

This was the 1,000th patient we saw in May, a very happy camper. We are busier than expected which is great, in my short time here it's clear the children of Laos need a great deal of healthcare and I'm very glad they are finding their way to our hospital

fancy taking this medication?

we ordered nystatin, an anti-fungal for our hospital pharmacy
we all laughed when nyshatin arrived and thought it was lao name for nystatin
but when we checked the ingredients it was live fungus!
woops!

i found a new market

on the way to work, making the bike ride even more enjoyable

I love watching family interactions

It's fascinating working here with the Laos doctors and as I'm hopeless at Laos I have heaps of time to observe the interactions between children and their parents and I love this. There is so much tenderness, don't know why this seems so special as I see all my friends being equally loving to their children, there are magical moments of such warm parental and child affection and intimacy which makes me tingly and smile with joy

Learning, Laos Style

Dr Cheri was teaching us about ultrasound, in Laos Learning is enhanced by hugging each other!

there's heaps of touch going on , it's a good thing