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Kwai River Christian Hospital
Not a day goes by that I do not think about the Kwai River Christian Hospital or pray for my friends and "family" there. Melba and I have had the privilege of serving at the Kwai River Christian Hospital for the past twenty-three years. Our three children grew up around the Kwai River Christian Hospital and they all consider Huey Malai "home". We came back for our USA assignment one year early this time (at the end of June, 2002) to get help for Melodie, our youngest, who has moderate mental retardation and some behavior challenges. She is 14 years old and was getting to be more than Melba could handle in home school in Thailand. Melodie, after a rough start, has made good progress socially and academically in her special education class at Sunset High School here in Beaverton, Oregon. The teacher and aides in her class are talented, experienced, and dedicated. As she progresses in school, there will be opportunity for job training and possibly even job placement. It appears that this is the place for Melodie and hence for us for the next few years. May we please take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported us and the Kwai River Christian Hospital through your prayers and giving and cards and letters. I invite you to support those remaining at the hospital in the same way you have us. The Kwai River Christian Hospital is much more than a place for the sick and injured to come and get care. It also seeks to promote wholeness through a public health program and through a program of evangelism and discipleship. In the last 20 years, the KRCH family has initiated a number of projects and embarked on several collaborations in order to better serve the people around us. The ideas for these projects sprang from the minds of folks on the hospital staff, local village head men, and representatives of various government and non-government organizations: Village water projects in six villages; Establishment of a malnutrition intervention project; Setting up an "Over-60's" program to screen the elderly for treatable diseases common in old age such as glaucoma, cataracts, high blood pressure and diabetes; Cooperation with the Thai National TB Control Program; Cooperation with AFRIMS (Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences) in tropical medicine research; Cooperation with refugee relief agencies such as the American Refugee Committee, the International Rescue Committee, and Doctors Without Borders, to provide medical care for refugees who need more help than they can get in the refugee camp hospitals; Cooperation with Handicap International to facilitate the manufacture of low cost artificial limbs for amputees in a wide area surrounding the hospital; Coordination with HelpAge International in constructing a general store to serve as an income-generating project and handicraft outlet for the elderly; Cooperation with the local postal service to set up a small branch office attached to the hospital; and Setting up a scholarship program for nursing students and students of other health professions; The generosity of supporters inside Thailand and abroad has been energizing. Repeatedly, individuals and organizations in the USA, Scotland, England, Australia and Thailand have made unexpected donations. These have enabled scholarships, building projects, equipment purchases, and charity programs. The givers of these gifts have imparted to those of us who work at the KRCH "gum lung jai" (Thai for "strength in the soul"). Volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, plumbers, and electricians have generously contributed of their time and talents. They have come from the USA, Sweden, Japan, Thailand, and Australia. Their efforts have made a substantial contribution to the work of the hospital and their willingness to come has inspired us to believe in the value of our project. For our KRCH "family", for the privilege of serving those in and around Huey Malai these past 23 years, and for the generosity of friends near and far, we thank our God. May He bless you all. --Phil July 2003 Here is an interesting early June update from Phil, who is now practicing medicine in Oregon. He has some observations about American patients: Whenever I approach a patient to examine his throat, I have to restrain myself from saying, ?Ahh pahk? (That’s “open wide”) in Thai, and saying it has become for me a reflex. I wonder what my American patients would think if I DID say it! PAR-Q, ODT, CH, FBW, CB, RS: These and many, many more abbreviations plus brand names of new medicines, and the names of nurses and office staff, constitute a new language for me. Here I thought the only language I would need would be English! I’ve been working with South Tabor Family Physicians for just over two weeks. The doctors, nurses, and lab personnel have all been very kind and helpful. This is a great blessing as I deal with changes which, although mostly expected, have sometimes been surprising in their extent. LARGE PATIENTS: The number of seriously overweight patients in this practice continually amazes me. The size of some is astonishing. Their belly walls are so thick that a meaningful examination of the abdomen is next to impossible. PATIENT PATIENTS: American patients tend to get grumpy if they are not examined by the doctor within a half hour or so of getting to the clinic. There’s no such thing as a patient who cheerfully eats his lunch and takes his afternoon siesta while waiting to see the doctor! DEMANDING PATIENTS: Patients expect their doctor to be able to take care of every ache and pain. The thought of having to LIVE with pain seems like a violation of basic rights. MODERN PATIENTS: No malaria, worms, or leprosy, but plenty of anxiety, depression, coronary artery disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. So much for “progress.” So, my patients here are different in some ways from my patients at the Kwai River Christian Hospital. Nevertheless, they are still fragile human beings who need a sympathetic ear and compassionate care. If their diseases are chronic and difficult to treat, the challenge is all the greater. January 2006 Meantime, Dr. Anchalee is doing a good job with the tuberculosis program. She has put together a gripping Power Point presentation which highlights the plight of the poor and refugees who contract this dread disease. She also describes the challenges of treating multi-drug resistant TB. Lea continues as a wonderful hostess to volunteers and visitors. Olivia has officially retired but continues to help 2-3 days per week in the public health program. The KRCH-AFRIMS relationship continues. A new malaria treatment study is scheduled to begin soon. We left Portland in the midst of an ice storm on December 18 and returned to rain on January 8. It was warm and sunny nearly the whole time we were in Thailand. Melodie had a great time visiting old friends. She was jabbering away in the Karen language again after just 24 hours. Nathan had a chance to see how his old fruit trees are doing (mixed results) and to hack away at the bamboo in the back yard of our old house. Melba did a lot of reading and some walking. She also visited the colorful and aromatic Thursday market both weeks we were in Huey Malai. I worked in the hospital about twelve days while Dr. Sakda and Dr. Anchalee took turns going to meetings or on personal business. We had the pleasure of attending the wedding of Arisa and Somkiat. Arisa is a KRCH nurse; Somkiat used to attend Linette’s classes in conversational English. The wedding had been postponed so that we could be there. I was asked to give the “charge”. This is a bit of wisdom and advice dispensed by an old timer to the newlyweds. I am much less adept at speaking about married life in Thai than I am about medical matters. I hope I didn’t say too many goofy things! On January 3, we traveled to Chiang Mai where we met up with our eldest daughter, Linette, and her husband, Tim. They have been teaching English and engineering, respectively, in China. We stayed with Kathryn McDaniel, my stepmother. It was a nice little family reunion. Now we are back in Portland, and soon Linette and Tim will be returning to China. For me, it was reassuring to see the KRCH running so well. For all of us, this trip has built some lasting memories --Phil |
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The revered Dr. Phil McDaniel returned to the USA after twenty three years as Director of the Kwai River Christian Hospital. He offered these observations shortly after arriving in Oregon: