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The following is an account of my accident in Laos. This is a considerable jump ahead from the last post, but I thought it was notable enough to warrant an up-to-date entry. Please be assured that I as I write this I am perfectly alright. Also, when reading my account of the health services in Laos, please keep in mind that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite this poverty, the Laotian government (specifically the tourism authorities) provided much needed and appreciated help as soon as they were aware of the accident.

The ride to the hospital was uneventful, and for Hannah and I it was also reasonably comfortable. But it felt very long and I was sick with sorry regarding Lucas and Adham. As we entered the Luang Prabang city limits and it became obvious we were nearing our destination, I caught myself looking with dread at each crumbling building I suspected of being our hospital. Thankfully, my worries of being sent to some sort of condemned facility were unfounded, as we eventually pulled up to a cheerful looking building roofed with charming red tile in the Chinese style. As I peeled myself off the truck seat I left behind a generous amount of bloody residue from my back. I didn’t mind so much, as we had finally made it to medical attention, at the Lao-Chinese Friendship Hospital.

Our arrival caused a bit of a sensation. Lao nurses wearing traditional bonnets and old-fashioned dresses amassed around us. Joined by male attendants, about 5 of them quickly set to pulling Adham off first. Standing away from the action, and worried about possible spinal injuries, I was disconcerted to see the attendants bend and manipulate Adham’s back and neck as they lifted him out of the truck and onto a waiting gurney. Despite the pain, Adham tolerated the discomfort admirably. As they wheeled him away to a room far from the entrance his 6’2” frame sprawled absurdly over the undersized gurney, causing his knees to splay dangerously close to some of the attendants’ heads.

Next up was Lucas with his open ankle fracture. Placing him in his gurney, the staff treated poor Lucas in a manner unfathomably indifferent to his extraordinarily painful break. As they moved him, they carelessly manipulated his loosely attached foot, causing his leg bone to rest unnaturally ontop of his shattered ankle joint. It must have been agonizing, and Lucas, who up to this point had hardly uttered a complaint, began to moan and cry out in pain, pleading for some help. For their part, the staff just looked at him. Thankfully, at this point Dr. Xax, the head doctor, arrived and with him the medical attention we received increased in a few orders of magnitude.

Dr. Xax exuded a strong sense of competence and authority, and immediately took charge in resolving the situation. Possesing a good command of English, he immediately assessed the break and rearranged Lucas’ ankle, providing him with immediate and palpable respite. Very quickly he also assessed everyone else’s injuries and prioritized order of treatment based on severity. Joined by April, Joanne was sent off to a room adjoining Adham’s.

I worriedly watched Lucas being wheeled in the emergency room. The room was labeled “Surgsery Emergency”. Soon after the hospital power began to give out with alarming frequency, plunging large portions of the building in darkness.

Since Hannah and I had recovered from our head blows and only needed stitches, we were given the lowest priority, allowing me ample time to observe the hospital and its staff. Dr. Xax was obviously an excellent doctor. However, I was definitely leery of some of the other staff, especially the ones responsible for so carelessly moving Adham and Lucas. Even more worrisome were the ones who stared slackjawed at Lucas as he pleaded for help. Now, with the immediate excitement over, much of the staff quickly sprawled to sleep on the reception desk or listlessly watched a T.V. bolted to one of the walls. For some reason, the hospital seemed to enjoy a severe overabundance of staff, leaving many of them with little to do.

At this point several police officers entered the scene, looking for everyone’s passports for their police report. As part of Lao policy, they also called the tourism authorities in order to provide an English speaker to help us navigate the system and smooth over any problems. I have to say, we are enormously grateful to the Lao government of this policy. Very soon, a Mr. Johnny arrived who ended being an absolute Godsend and a never-ending source of helpfulness and thoughtfulness. Since the hospital lacked a phone, Mr. Johnny immediately provided us use of her phone to call our insurance companies. We also received valuable explanations on how the health system works, who pays for what, and advice on procuring guesthouses and food for later tonight.

Soon after, Dr. Xax stepped out of the Surgsery room with Axelle. I overheard his recommendation that he stay the night and get air evacuated to Bangkok in the morning. A sensible course of action. After that, not much happened. Hannah and I sat on our wooden bench, our conversation already exhausted from our long drive to the hospital. A couple of hours in, Hannah began to distract herself by taking pictures of my back wound. I gladly complied.

Eventually, the inevitable happened, and my bladder caught up to me. Unfortunately, each of my attempts to use the bathroom coincided with a power outage, throwing the bathroom in pitch darkness. After several attempts I finally found a window of opportunity and raced to the bathroom.

Inside, I was met with two urinals, a squatter, and a broken Western toilet, all open to view to each other. My sandals squished amid a disconcerting amount of fluid and muck on the floor. Despite the power working, the bathroom was so dark that I couldn’t really examine the facilities. Only after feeling the sensation of hot urine splashing my feet did I discover that the urinal I was using drained directly to the floor. I was even more aggravated when I repeated this discovery with the second urinal. With my humiliation complete I shambled back to my wooden bench.

Meanwhile, April set to ensuring that Joanne and Adham were comfortable and cared for. But not even April can be at all places at once. At a point where Joanne was left alone, several nurses stepped in her room and moved Joanne to another bed. Using scowls and curt orders, the nurses then insisted she move beds again. In a great degree of pain from her broken clavicle, she refused the inexplicable request. This angered the nurses greatly, and they even went so far to tug at Joanne’s arms, despite her fractured collarbone. Finally they gave up, obstinately ignoring her for the remainder of her stay. Understandably, Joanne became upset. Seeing Joanne’s state, an old Laos lady, visiting her relative in the neighbouring bed, performed a wonderful act of kindness. Taking a clothe, she gently washed Joanne’s legs, arms, and face. A kind soul.

As for me, I resigned myself to my post at the wooden bench. Eventually, the doctors finished up with Lucas, and it was my turn for treatment. Stepping in the emergency room, I saw Lucas sprawled on a gurney, his leg wrapped like a mummy. Considerably doped up but lucid, he asked me how I was doing. Astonished at his concern, I assured him I was fine and that he shouldn’t worry about anyone else except himself. As they wheeled him away, I heard him drawl in a drugged out voice, “Good-bye Adam! Good luck!”

Taking in my surroundings, I was a little apprehensive. All the staff were wearing the same sandals they wore outside the room, leaving a considerable amount of muck and dirt on the floor. The gurney I was placed on face-first seemed grimy from its previous occupant. However, observing things a little closer, I saw that all instruments were sterilized, doctors and nurses acted professionally (unlike their counterparts outside), and the severe stinging I felt on my head wounds indicated that liberal (very liberal if the stinging was anything to go by) amounts of alcohol were used to clean the lacerations. So while it was perhaps not the General Hospital in Ottawa, I felt in good hands.

All in all, the stitching went well. While Laotian doctors will never be accused of being gentle stitchers, they sewed me up quite admirably. I think Hannah’s treatment was worse than mine, as she was forced to endure an ear stitching. I could hear her swear in Finnish while they sewed my back up. It was severely comical, and her unabashed curses eased my own back stitching experience. In total I received 12 stitches in my back and head, not too bad of a tally.

With everyone finished, it was time to collect Joanne and Adham from their beds, as it was decided that neither of them needed to spend the night. I found Joanne tired and sore laying in a bed equipped with sheets garnished with puke, crap, and blood stains. When I poked my head in the bathroom I startled a cockroach in the sink. It fled into the drainage hole, its two antennaie poking absurdly into view. Feeling malicious, I decided to turn on the tap, only to discover the water was broken. It was time to leave, find a clean guesthouse, and lick our wounds and recover. Before we did so, we bid good luck to Lucas and Axelle. They had a flight to Bangkok to look forward to, and on Lucas’ part, a long rehabilitation.

At this point it was 3am and the inimitable Mr Johnny was still with us. She ensured that we didn’t pay a cent (or a kip as it happens), explaining that the Lao government is paying for our treatment. April then hopped on the back of Mr. Johnny’s motorbike in search of a guesthouse open at this late hour. Returning soon after, the dynamic duo of April and Mr. Johnny chartered a tuk-tuk to the chosen place. The five of us piled into our rooms and all passed out. Except for April, who had one last task ahead of her. She awoke us four head-wound victims every two hours. After all that work, even a reward as simple as a good sleep was denied April.

Epilogue

Everyone is fine from our (mis)adventure (Axelle’s phrasing). Lucas and Axelle have flown to France from Bangkok for some additional treatment, and Axelle has assured me that Lucas is in fine health and spirits.

Joanne flew back to Ireland, sure to be doted on by her family who live in the village of Coolarty. She has updated me on recent Coolarty happenings; apparently the Murphy family’s cow has calved twin offspring for the third year in a row!

Hannah booked a flight to Chang Mai, Thailand and is enjoying the rest of her epic overland trip (overland over Russia, Mongolia, and China!)

As for Adham, April, and I – we continued our Laotian travels, heading South to Vang Vieng and Vientiane. Experiences all deserving of future posts!

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