| Drs Rachel Bishop and Jim Litch, Khunde hospital
Edited by Dr Jim Duff |
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One evening in October at Khunde Hospital, we were disturbed by a knock at the door.
(...) The sick man was breathing fast and heavily, each breath a real struggle for life.
(...) we put him on oxygen and then listened to his chest. Both lungs were full of fluid.
His level of oxygen was less than half normal. Every time he coughed he produced frothy,
blood stained sputum.
He had been carried that day from Gokyo (4750m). He was sick at 4410m, but when he told
the leader, he was told the group was moving on and he was obliged to ascend higher with
them.
(...) During the night his friends woke the sirdar who seeing he could no longer work,
gave him his wages and sacked him on the spot.
He used those wages to hire a porter to carry himself down (...) to Khunde (3900m).
It was a long night for the hospital staff. Even on oxygen he still struggled to breathe.
We told his friend he might not survive the night. Fortunately he did and (...) slowly
over the next few days he got better.
We sent his friend back to the group asking the group leader to come to the hospital.
(...) The sirdar came and repaid him. The group leader, though only 20 minutes away would
not come and see him. The Nepalese agent (...) has since paid his hospital bill.
We wish this was a rare event, however it is one of only many tales this year where
trekking groups have had total disregard for the safety of their local employees. The time
to bring awareness of this important issue to trekkers is long overdue.
Note from the editor: It is not IPPG policy to
publicly name companies or nationalities of trekking groups that are in default of their
obligations to the porters they employ. IPPG approaches such companies individually.
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