Malaria is alive and well and living in Laos

I need to debrief.  I have to write and tell people about this, because it just amazes me. Sometimes I feel so naive and privileged.

The other morning I had arranged to meet Kaipo, one of the young novices I’d met, to take him to a class at My Library.  He wants to improve his English.  He didn't show up - that's OK.

A few hours later I was at his monastery because I'm helping another novice with English.  Kaipo walks out to meet me, apologetic that he didn't meet as planned.  He has a drip in his arm and is holding up an IV bag above his head with the other arm. (No IV pole available of course).

He has malaria. In Australia, he would be in hospital.  Not here.  He remains in the novice quarters of the monastery.  His monastery has one monk and 15 other novices who are basically all teenage boys.   Thankfully, his father and brother have come to stay to care for him until he is well.

A nurse arrives a few times a day to give him the IV antibiotics. I was taught in nursing that if you get a lot of air in an IV line you can die.  For the boys it's just "another day in Laos".

People routinely die of malaria here.  I gather it is usually people in the more remote areas who may not have the money  and/or can't get to a hospital.  No doubt he is lucky because he is in town and the monastery will pay for his antibiotics.  

People here live with so little.  I feel outraged that "this shouldn't be happening in the 21st century."