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IPPG Newsletters: July 1999
Porter Safety: A Serious Problem with an Obvious Solution |
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| Elsie James, Canada rep. |
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I don't know how many times my Nepali friends have told me that they won't have a problem with Acute Mountain Sickness. Why? Simply because they are Nepali!
Unfortunately, many Nepalis have been the victims of this erroneous error. Nepali trekking staff have often suffered severe injury or death because their employers have chosen to believe this myth or have thoughtlessly overlooked the fact they have an equal responsibility towards their staff and clients.
The risk of Acute Mountain Sickness, of course, is not the only source of concern relative to Porter abuse. Failure to inform inexperienced staff regarding expected climatic conditions to be encountered during a trek and then ensuring they are adequately clothed, eating properly or drinking sufficient water, is a common sin of omission committed by some trekking and expedition organizers. Here are some suggestions:
- An acceptance of responsibility first by the Company with a secondary follow-up by the clients - the excuse of assuming somebody else has taken care of the task is not acceptable when human lives and well-being are involved.
- Porters must be educated by the Company (Sirdars, Guides, etc.) and having gained an understanding of the dangers, they need to accept some personal responsibility to acquire, maintain and not dispose of equipment provided to them for their safety and well-being. (note from the editor: the better and more ethical trekking companies loan clothing and footwear to their porters and collect it once the need has passed) Porters won't do this until they are properly taught and paid.
- The poor economic conditions of many of the Porters encourages them to carry double (or more) loads. Some porters are quite capable of this and take great pride in their ability. However some very young, older or sick porters overload with subsequent serious physical problems and, sometimes death. The Government of Nepal is the only body with the ability to fix this problem.
Sadly, one occasionally sees a group of Porters who are less cared for than the Yak or Mule Driver's beasts of burden. This must not be allowed to continue. So many injuries and deaths that have occurred over the years have been preventable. A study conducted by Drs. Buddha Basnyat and James A. Litch, MD and published in the 25th Anniversary magazine of the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), reported that in a research group of 155 subjects (133 Nepali porters), 69 (45%) experienced medical problems. Five percent of the porters required evacuation. This report goes on to say:
"Because porters in the trek industry are hired specifically to accompany the party into remote areas that demand a degree of party self-sufficiency for safety, there is a responsibility to care for these employees in remote areas during their period of service... Furthermore, impoverished porters lack the financial resources for a helicopter evacuation in the event of a life-threatening injury or illness. There are numerous anecdotal reports of abandoning ill, injured, or poorly equipped hired porters by trekking parties. Better knowledge of the medical conditions encountered among all the members of trekking groups may contribute to improved preventative measures, prepared-ness and responsibility on the part of trek (and expedition) organizers."
Achieving the goal of an equitable and sustainable trekking industry needs the support of His Majesty's Government of Nepal to set minimum standards for the Industry. (Similar action in Pakistan has achieved significant improvements.)
Finally, those of us using the services of Porters and other trekking staff need to be willing to pay a fair price for the services rendered. In addition, we must do our part to support the lobbying activities of IPPG, both financially and philosophically to achieve the necessary improvements before more porters and their families pay too high a price for employment.
No one agency or organization is responsible for the present situation but we must work as a team to ensure these objectives are achieved in the near future.
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