Hello again, in previous posts you have seen some pictures from our clinic, waiting room area, PACU and operating room. Now, lets see some pictures showing life in the hospital ward or ဆေးရုံရပ်ကွက် (sayyrone rautkwat) in Burmese. The generous staff at General Hospital assists us before, during and after surgery. Before and after surgeries, our patients are taken care of in the hospital ward. This hospital has 300 beds and the patients receive new pajamas, food, and a place for parents/family members to rest when necessary. Patients receive handmade quilts by Wrap-a-Smile (international quilters). To find out more about wrap-a-smile, please visit, https://rotaplast.org/partners-2/wrap-a-smile/. Patients also receive stuffed animals and other toys, coloring books and crayons that were donated by the members of our team and their families/communities.

Lets go see what’s going on in the ward! Its around 7:30am and our patients are just waking up and getting ready to eat breakfast. Our lead pediatrician, Brian, and our ward coordinator, Sofya, are meeting with new patients and whomever is scheduled for surgery today. All of the patients met me at clinic and know that I will always have my camera around so most get camera ready as soon as they see me in the ward! Patients and their families use all areas of the hospital to rest and eat, including the hallways, waiting area and front steps. The pajamas you see in the pictures below were given to our patients this morning. You may also be wondering why some of our patients and their mothers have their faces painted. The face painting, called Thanaka, is an ancient Burmese beauty balm that is used by most women and girls in Myanmar to protect their skin from sunlight, cool the skin in hot weather and for cosmetic purposes as well. Thanaka is made from natural sources, such as ground bark. As you will see in the picture below, thanaka is applied first thing in the morning and then reapplied throughout the day in order to protect the skin. Tp learn more about thanaka, please visit, http://www.beautyatlasmag.com/blog-content/thanaka-myanmar-sandalwood-paste.