Trekking And The Medical Humanities

Commentary by P. Ravi Shankar, M.D., Department of Medical Education, KIST Medical College, Imadol, Lalitpur, Nepal

Nepal, trekking, and new perspectives

In a previous commentary for this blog I wrote about the development of medical humanities modules in two Nepalese medical schools. In this article I aim to pen my thoughts about trekking in Nepal and the Medical Humanities (MH). Nepal is a small country in South Asia surrounded by two of the most populous countries in the world – China and India. Nepal has among the greatest altitude variations of any country on Earth. The land rises from the flat plains of the ‘terai’ to Mt. Everest, the highest point on the planet within a distance of 150 km. The hills and the mountains of Nepal are a trekker’s paradise and attract people from a number of countries. The unspoiled villages, green hills, verdant valleys and soaring Himalayas are the major attractions. The present population may be somewhere between 27 to 30 million. A number of ethnic groups inhabit the land and more than 500 different languages and dialects are spoken.

How can trekking be related to the humanities? On first glance these two appear very different. MH is an intellectual activity and is pursued by medical students, medical teachers and others to obtain a perspective on the human and humane side of medicine. Trekking is a tiring physical activity where you tramp up and down hills, cross streams and endure cold, heat, sweat and grime. Trekking basically is about freedom and following a simpler and gentler way of life at least when you are on the trek. Karl Benz’s motor car is absent and the gently rising middle hills with their river valleys have to be traversed on foot. The air is pure, the light magical, the people friendly and you have stepped back a few decades in time! You follow the rhythms of nature. You go to sleep soon after sunset and wake up with the first light of dawn or even before. Many of the illnesses of civilization are the result of leading a lifestyle not in tune with nature’s clock. MH in my opinion searches for the simple in disease and health. This is becoming a difficult task in an increasing complex world and trekking may be of some help!

The landscape can stimulate creativity among the students and inspire them to reflect on life, relationships and death from a ‘different’ perspective. Also exposure to the legends, voices and rich oral traditions of the mountain villages can enrich the writing and other creative skills of students and faculty. These stories, paintings and other art objects can serve to explore a number of issues in the humanities.

Medical humanities retreats

Trekking regions could be a location for weekend MH retreats. In the Dalhousie University, Canada, weekend retreats in the beautiful Canadian countryside are common during the MH module. In Nepal, the trekking areas can serve a similar function. Cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara have the Langtang/Helambu and the Annapurna trekking regions at their door step and students and faculty can easily trek to some of the nearby villages. Many other cities in the plains also have hill towns nearby. The trekking regions have over the years built up good infrastructure and facilities. Sitting in the dining room of a lodge by a roaring fire as the mist settles in for the evening can be a delightful experience for students and faculty and can lead to a closer and more informal relationship between them. The student-teacher relationship is relatively hierarchical and authoritarian in Nepal and trekking can lead to a more egalitarian and friendly relationship that may be more conducive to learning the humanities.

A cultural and social journey

Most treks in Nepal start in the middle hills though these days roads are making greater inroads. The road head is usually a congested and noisy small town and you can study a village slowly urbanizing. An interesting phenomenon with MH implications! People may either trek alone, with a porter or with a group. The porter is usually a farmer from the hills and it is an interesting experience to walk along this person for days on end. You are offered a different perspective on life and the country! Trekking in a group can also introduce you to other members from a different region or even from a different country.

The middle hills are welcoming with bright sunshine and villages mainly inhabited by the Brahmins and Chettris, the dominant castes in Nepal. Education is becoming more widespread and you can watch children race along the trail to their schools, the same steep trail where you rest and catch your breath after every two steps. As you go on the valley gradually becomes narrower and the river flows through a deep gorge and the terrain becomes increasingly rocky. Magnificent waterfalls and dense forests create an enchanted atmosphere. The going is tough but the reward is great! After a few days travel you reach the dry Tibet-like valleys behind the Himalayas. These are mainly inhabited by Bhotia communities of Tibetan extraction. This is a classic description of the Around Annapurna, Around Manasulu or even the Everest trek from Jiri. However, you can also fly in to a remote airfield and then start your trek. There are also shorter treks for those short on time.

Difficulties in accessing health care, and the modalities followed by the inhabitants to cure disease and protect health are important issues for the Medical Humanities. Because of the mountainous terrain, the volatile and unstable political situation with its prolonged conflict and poor socioeconomic development, modern health care may sometimes be many days walk away. Complementary Medical practitioners and faith healers often fill in the yawning gap for health care. Thus complementary medicine, rising standard of living, increasing number of trekkers and access to medical care are closely interlinked.

Access to health care, standard of living, and complementary medical systems

Many of the villages are situated one or two days walk from the nearest road head and to reach them you have to walk up and down winding trails through the hills. You can see first hand the important role complementary practitioners play in providing health care. Sick persons are also often carried in baskets on the back of sturdy village porters to the nearest health centre or hospital. The basket is often called the ‘hill ambulance’.

The main trekking areas have seen a rise in the standard of living along with westernization and a change in the outlook. The approach to illness and its treatment is also changing. Western medicine is being more widely accepted and westerners (even trekkers) are regarded as doctors and experts in modern medical care. The farmers are able to supplement their income through the cash earned from trekkers and the traditional subsistence village economy has been replaced by a cash one. The overall health status has improved but the diseases of civilization are slowly beginning to make an appearance.

In the middle hills, Hinduism is the main religion and ayurveda and herbalism are the main medical systems. Faith healing is also common. In the gorges, the Buddhist influence becomes stronger and shamans become the main faith healers. In the trans-Himalayan valleys, Tibetan medicine dominates and the practitioners called ‘amchis’ cater to the healthcare needs. Modern allopathic health centers and hospitals are also present in a few areas mainly manned by paramedics. The process of creation of an indigenous medical system, its interaction with other medical systems and with western allopathic medicine (which came from the cities) can be a fascinating subject of study. The complementary systems offer a different perspective and while not always scientifically rigorous like the allopathic system may be more holistic considering man in the perspective of the cosmos.

Progress made

In the recent decades tremendous progress in healthcare indicators and access to health care has taken place. Education is becoming widespread among the younger generation. The importance of clean drinking water, sanitation, proper sewage disposal is becoming evident to the rural and the underprivileged urban populace. A number of health centers, health posts and subhealth posts (institutions delivering primary health care) are being set up and both doctors and paramedical workers are looking after the health of the population. Community hospitals and dispensaries have been set up in many areas and good quality medicines are being manufactured in the country. Nepalese manufacturers now meet more than 40% of the country’s requirements and this proportion will increase in the future. Students can see first hand these changes in the rural areas of Nepal. These changes are also present in urban areas but are more dramatic and easier to study in the rural areas.

Humanities issues of particular concern to Nepal

The major humanities issues of particular concern to Nepal in my opinion are to encourage a caring attitude towards patients, taking into consideration the patients’ weak socioeconomic conditions in treatment decisions; help patients make proper decisions about treatment and health care; promote service in rural and underprivileged areas; play a role as a motivator and an agent of change in rural communities; develop good working relationships with complementary medicine practitioners and involve them in making healthcare accessible to the underprivileged; and adapt western allopathic medicine to a traditional setting. Many of these issues may also be applicable to other countries in South Asia.

Thus trekking can serve to introduce, highlight and underline a number of MH issues in the Nepalese context. The exposure to fresh air, fresh food and an unhurried pace of life can do wonders for the mental and physical health of the students and faculty. The unhurried environment allows for deep reflection and in depth study of a number of issues. Thus trekking and the humanities may be closely related in the Nepalese context. The challenge is to explore and utilize the connection to the full!