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IPPG Newsletters: March 2002
Accidents happen... a thoughtful response |
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The following stories illustrate how an ethical and efficient trekking company deals with its sick porters. It also shows that accidents and deaths will happen however hard you try. After all, this is an adventure travel environment. The startling difference is the refreshing honesty of this report and the real intention to improve matters. The account below is taken from a letter from that trekking company to Dr Jim Duff.
"Last autumn we had a close call with a porter who was carried down from the Mera La to Tagnag suffering from severe HAPE. The group had a PAC and a very competent leader who administered drugs. After a night in the PAC we got a helicopter in the morning and the porter was hospitalised in Kathmandu, where he made a full recovery. Prevention is better than cure for sure, but at least in the meantime this episode had a good outcome.
This last spring season we were not so fortunate and lost a porter at Khare. I had a session with Dr Jim Litch yesterday to try and review what went wrong. The group had a PAC, a leader with all the right drugs and an experienced and caring Sirdar. The porter aged 29 had been to the Mera La on two previous occasions. He was one of the porters who was due to return to Lukla and head up to Island peak to meet the group once they had crossed the Amphu Lapchha. He had done this on the past two occasions. After two nights just above Khare, the group headed off towards the Mera La. Apparently the porter, Surje, had been coughing through the night, but was not suffering from a headache and apart from the cough appeared to be OK. Surje left the group with three other porters with the intention of dropping down to Dig Kharkha. However, Surje stopped at the teahouses at Khare and spent the day there. That night, the coughing got worse and from what I understand he died at 3 in the morning."
Comment: This last case sounds like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. This death seems to have been a trek management/communication problem involving the sirdar and trek leader. Maybe the Sirdar did not suspect or understand HAPE, and because the porter was returning anyway did not tell the group leader. Because the group leader had not been told he was not in a position to assess the state of the porter and treat accordingly.
There are two issues which need addressing. First, continuing education for trek staff so that they are in a better position to identify AMS. Second, encouraging better communication between porters, Sirdar and leader.
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