New community nurses fill a valuable niche
Wiphawan Sripudtha coaches a Nam Phong subdistrict resident during an exercise section held regularly for the elderly to promote good health.
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It's late at night at remote Huay Sue Ten village, about 33 kilometres from Khon Kaen city.
Sixty-eight-year-old Chom Sriphan is awake and looking after his wife Busabong. She's in the advanced stages of cervical cancer. The excruciating pain she bears is beyond any help Chom can provide. He needs urgent medical assistance. Pulling out a mobile phone lent to him by a daughter for emergencies just like this, he dials his community nurse. Soon, Wiphawan Sripudtha arrives and immediately commences tending to Busabong. The 23-year-old nurse was born and raised in Nam Phong. Since graduating from Khon Kaen University just a few months ago Wiphawan began serving her community. She is one of three nursing graduates of the Nam Phong tambon administration "community nurse" project. Four years ago Wiphawan missed a chance to become a nurse - her dream career - when she failed the entrance examination. Fortunately, she got a second chance when the tambon administration kicked off its new project. It is aimed at getting more healthcare professionals working in the district and improving the level of health care for its residents. The local administration covers nursing-school tuition - about Bt120,000 for each student. In proportion to its population the sub-district needs six community nurses and a couple of dental nurses to cover its 13 villages of about 400 people each. One more nurse graduates next year and two more the year after. The two dental nurses are already at work along with Wiphawan and two others. Unlike in a hospital, community nurses like Wiphawan start their day with a clinic from 8am to 10am, then it's off on house calls for patients suffering chronic illnesses. After that it's time to visit patients from the community admitted to Nam Phong Hospital. Wiphawan visits Busabong at least every two days - or more often if she's suffering. "It would be much worse without the community nurses. I cannot leave my wife alone even to go and get medication for her from the hospital," Chom says. Wiphawan gets all the medical supplies the couple need. "She's just a phone call away for us," Chom says. Being a community nurse is not easy, explains Nam Phong Hospital nurse Phunapha Chaiyarat who supervises Wiphawan, her two colleagues and the dental nurses. "Since you belong to the community, its people usually have considerably higher expectations of you," she says. "No, I never thought of leaving the community," says Wiphawan. "I was born and raised here and the people chose me to become their nurse. I love it and I belong here."
Arthit Khwankhom The Nation
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