Australian doctor trying to save the lives of mothers and babies in Nepal
Regardless of the state of the health system in Australia, it can't be argued that we are well ahead of many parts of the world, particularly when it comes to women's health.
Which is why Dr. Ray Hodgson, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of NSW, was shocked to discover more than 850,000 women in the country of Nepal suffer from uterine prolapse each year.
He decided to put a team to together and travel to the country to help women suffering from the condition, and to help educate others about prevention.
Operating in Nepal Supplied
Now, Dr. Hodgson has written a book about his experiences called Heartbreak in Nepal.
"We perform a lot of surgeries and also spend a lot of time teaching local doctors and surgeons how to perform the procedure," he tells 9Honey.
"We also try to improve pregnancy care," he says. "There's a high mortality rate with mums and babies so we teach midwives about preventative care."
Dr Ray makes the trip a few times a year Supplied
It was 12 years ago that Dr. Hodgson began his work.
"A uterine prolapse is when the uterus falls out of the vagina, and sometimes the bowel and the bladder," he says.
"Child birth is the main risk factor as well as any force on the abdomen during pregnancy including heavy lifting."
He spends much of his time training locals. Supplied
Dr. Hodgson founded the organisation Australians for Women's Health (A4WH) to run the project.
In Nepal, a mother dies every four hours and a baby dies every 20 minutes.
He has written a book about his work. Supplied
Dr. Hodgson and his team are also building a hospital in Nepal, with all proceeds from his book going towards the incredible project.
"I wanted to write the book to raise money, but also to raise awareness," he says. "What women go through in Nepal makes me cringe about our first-world problems."
Dr. Hodgson says women in Nepal are often prevented from seeking medical assistance by their husbands.
They also have a lot of children, and continue to work during pregnancy, placing strain on their abdomens.
"80 percent of the population lives in rural areas," he says. "It has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.
"One thing we do is we teach ultrasound, which isn't available in remote areas of Nepal.
"More women are coming in from around the country for medical attention."
Find out more about Dr. Hodgson's incredible work and purchase his book at the A4WH website.
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