Preconceptions can be troubling things. We had been told so much about what we would be experiencing in the Nepalese hospital system. We are based at Fishtail Hospital which is a private hospital here in Pokhara. It is not the same as an Australian private hospital in that you need private health insurance to access the services, however there is a small fee for services for those who can afford it. The hospital will not turn away patients however and it receives some government funding for its community health work in particular.

Fishtail is a 100 bed hospital with medical, surgical, ICU, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology, pathology and a CT scanner. There are also consultant specialists in fields such as neurology, psychiatry, endoscopy, ENT and others which you would expect in an Australian hospital.

We were greeted by the hospital chairman and hospital’s matron and presented with leis made of marigold flowers. After a talk from the chairman and another from the matron we were left with the matron who gave us a talk on the community health initiatives of the hospital. These were so similar to Australia in particular dietary education, immunisation, antenatal care and encouragement to meet the world standard of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. Whilst our lecturers met with the matron, we visited the roof of the hospital and had amazing views of the fishtail mountain and the Annapurna ranges, part of the Himalayas.

The glare from the snow topped mountains was pretty intense and it was hard to get a non squinty shot! Please note I am also holding Bob Woolly, the mascot of our trip crocheted by the daughter of one of our lecturers!

A tour of the hospital followed which was fascinating. Whilst there were so many differences, we still saw dedicated nurses using evidence based practice and showing they really cared for their patients. We first met in the library where the Florence Nightingale pledge was displayed both in English and in Nepalese.

I am still trying to process a lot of what I saw on the tour and no doubt will reflect on it further on in our trip.

After lunch we returned to our hotel and a group of us went on a long walk around the lake here in Pokhara. It really is such a beautiful place and one I really want to bring my family back to.

Our plan is to hire a boat one day and go for a trip on the lake, possibly after hiking up a hill to the temple. Over 15,000 steps today and 49 flights of stairs, and my calves are feeling it!

Finally, this afternoon outside our hotel we had a visitor- apparently they walk up and down the street and graze on the weeds and grasses! We have seen them along main roads, side streets and in the middle of town.