An ‘inspirational’ student is set become the first doctor of his Nepalese village where he will have to use skills he acquired from a Manchester medical training course to battle leprosy, typhoid and limited clean water.
Kanchha Sherpa, 27, moved to Manchester from the village of Melamchighyang, after his teacher alerted the Nepalese Children’s Trust of his ability in science who then paid for his A-levels and University of Manchester degree.
He will return to Nepal and train for a year alongside a senior doctor before going to his village to practice medicine.
There he will face challenges including typhoid, leprosy, dehydration, gastric problems and pregnancy health issues in addition to a lack of proper toilets and just one source of clean water.
Kanchha said: “I’m really thankful to the University and to the Medical School staff for all the support they have given me.
“I’ve been away for six years and it’s been a fantastic experience, but it always feels like home when I go back to Nepal.”
Kanchha will attend a graduation ceremony held at Whitworth Hall on Tuesday July 9 and will then move back to his home where he will operate a bus with medical supplies to serve the population of 1,500 in Melamchighyang.
The village only has a mid-wife currently, and residents must travel for several hours to Kathmandu if they need to see a doctor.
Kanchha says ‘he is ready’ and the successful results of thesix-year training have proven to be excellent progress in bringing good healthcare to areas where it is not as easily available.
Professor Tony Freemont, Head of Undergraduate Medical Education at Manchester Medical School, said: “It’s just fantastic to see one of our students succeed in this way.
“He is an inspiration to young people across the world, whatever their background, that they too can become doctors, improve healthcare in their country, and make a difference to people’s lives.”
Image courtesy of Zachary Baumgartner via Flickr, with thanks.
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