My trip to Kandy_Sri Lanka
Natalie White (Nursing)

Going on my own was initially a daunting prospect but on arrival Nili, the World the World programme manager was there waiting.  She gave me a big smile, a really warm welcome and I immediately felt safe.  We spent the first night in Negombo and then the next morning got the train up to Kandy – an experience in itself.  The dawn train ride took us up through the hills and tea plantations.  Beautiful.

 Travelling during their off-peak season meant that at the time I was in the house there were no other students so I had to learn to be able to cope in a new country alone.  This was a slightly daunting prospect but I was lucky to have the support from the Work the World staff who became like my adopted family.  With the help of the Kavinda and Nili, I learnt where to go shopping, what foods I liked best, how to get around the island and how to use local facilities to communicate with family and friends.  I travelled to Dambulla, Nuwara Eliya, Sigiriya and Kandy, luckily the Work the World staff were willing to travel with me so I didn’t have to go alone.  Sri Lanka is a beautiful country well worth travelling, the only thing I would say is take note of the jet lag advice going out (from UK), going East is worse than West from that point of view!

In the hospital I spent time in the Nephrology Department, the Medical Department and the Emergency and Casualty departments.  I was lucky enough to make good friends with some of my colleagues; one workmate took me to the Temple of Tooth which was an amazing place, a local wonder and well worth a visit.  Being in Kandy for five weeks meant that some local people would recognise me.  In Sri Lanka people seem to really enjoy talking to you; I guess they were just as curious about me as I was about them.  A lot of people can speak English in the local community, especially Doctors.  Sri Lankan medicine is taught in English and consultants must have two years experience of working in the UK, so all the doctors are fluent.  Some nurses speak English too but many patients can’t, so learning a little Singhalese (and Tamil) can help.  The Work the World house offers language lessons in Singhala, which can be tailored to your vocabulary needs so you can practice with the locals, this was great fun!

I noticed in the Medical Department that a lot of people were in there for simply having a high temperature.  In the UK this alone is generally nursed at home unless there are other serious symptoms.  I learnt that in this country, a high temperature can indicate life threatening tropical diseases.  

My mentor was an inspirational character who took good care of me as well as being responsible for a large part of the hospital. The secret to learning a lot over there seemed to be getting involved; be interested in what is happening and the staff will create opportunities for you to go to different departments and meet others. Some doctors were happy to teach aspects of their role to me, others gave a lot of information on healthcare issues in Sri Lanka and possible reasons for these.  I left with a fascinating insight into public health issues, what health services are available, nursing education and cultural attitudes in Sri Lanka.