It has been a while since my last post, so I am stepping back a week or so in the events that took place. This entire trip has been much of a blur, always something to do or see and many positive experiences to be had. We had an amazing weekend of excursions; both elephant riding and zip lining that were unforgettable.
On Friday the 30th of December, we attended a lecture at the mental hospital of Chiang Mai, where we learned about the prevalence of mental illnesses affecting the people of the northern region and Thailand as a whole. A few of the illnesses reported were those of psychotic nature, drug and alcohol related addictions, and depression. Like the United States, there is a social stigma attached to mental illnesses in this culture and many rarely seek help. The director of the hospital presented information about their organization and how they operate in regards to providing care to their region. Their wards remain open and unlocked so patients, or residents, are free to move bout the campus as they please. The staff also works with patients through rehabilitative activities such as making dish towel dolls and a type of rug using scraps of fabric.
After visiting the mental hospital we attended another lecture focusing on HIV/AIDS information at the Nursing School. The presenters identified the first case of HIV that had been reported; a 28 year old male who contracted the virus in the United States. After years of the virus spreading throughout Thailand, the Thai people needed to take action by constructing a plan and collecting demographic data from patients who have tested positive for the virus. This is where their extensive safe sex campaign and use of condom education became more prevalent. The program that I found most interesting was for children who had contracted HIV from mother to child transmission. They are provided care and medication for life. If their mother happens to pass away, they are cared for until they can sustain themselves. The HIV/AIDS prevention focus also brought attention to the human trafficking and prostitution problem in Thailand, it was noted that prostitutes are more conscious about using condoms and refuse services if their customer object to the use of them.
Concluding the presentation, we proceeded to tour the school and learn about the different educational areas. The facilities and rooms they used reminded us of a hospital from the 1950’s, especially their traditional nursing uniforms and rather creepy practice mannequins.