It is fair to say, that in terms of our healthcare we have it really good in Ireland. On Tuesday we experienced orderly chaos in Tansen Hospital, which is placed at the top of a huge mountain.
Many years ago the land on this hill was donated to missionary doctors since it was cursed as a place of evil ghosts and jackals. Today the hospital, which was built on the free site, is one of the best respected medical centres in the whole of Nepal.
One hundred and sixty-nine beds fill the wards, rooms and corridors, with patients expectant of recovery, and help from the medical staff who serve in tidy white uniforms. I had the pleasure of spending several hours with one of these erudite people - the hospital director.
I took my seat on a wooden stool beside Dr. Rachel and watched sore people with lithe bodies pass in and out of the cosy examination room where prescriptions, referral notes and smiles were handed to Nepali women of many ages.
In contrast to confidential consultations at home, I was permitted to take pulses, hold hands, see x-rays and feel the baby bumps of expectant ladies. With their consent, I heard worries about sore backs, to problems concerning anxiety, which made me understand the great work that is being done to help alleviate the continuous demands of ill health in this country.
I enjoyed looking upon the flat roof of the laundry where colourful rows of bed sheets hung in the warm breeze, happily giggling at the washing basket as they were lifted by pulley and ropes up the side of the wall. I also loved seeing mothers holding their newborn babies to their chests, with joy spread across their faces.
Surprised by the simplicity of this honest place, I have witnessed the need for work like this throughout the world where medical assistance is limited. It became clear to me that I would love to support and help sick people with their needs in the future, if it's in God’s plan.
The motto of Tansen hospital, which you see on signs at the entrance and on its walls, shares the hope of Christ in a predominantly Hindu and Buddhist community, that while willing humans can provide a certain amount of treatment and help, there is only one who can heal us inwardly and spiritually. There may not be a single panacea for disease, but there undoubtedly is one person who can restore us inside out with His provision and love - 'We serve Jesus heals'.
You can read about Dr. Sellar's overseas visit to Nepal here and his blogs from the Himalayan nation here. You can also follow his travels on Twitter at @pcimoderator hashtag #pcioverseastour.