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We left Ale Gaun early in the morning for Sirkot. The road led steeply up the hill where the mango trees grow until we finally rose above the morning fog that lay settled in the valley. From up on the ridge, Machapuchre (Fishtail) Mountain and the other high, snow-capped peaks came into view. The brilliant white of the snow contrasting with the red poinsettia plants that grow wild on the hillside. After about an hour of walking we arrived at the Dhunagiri health-post where the community health workers and our own pharmacist Tila and dental technicians Durga and Jhalak welcomed us with necklaces of marigolds, red tika paint on our foreheads and warm, sweet milk tea with puff pastry.

The health-post has been greatly improved since we last past through and since it was damaged in the 2015 earthquake. The post has been upgraded from sub to full health-post in the last year thanks in part from a generous donation from Jim Park of New Mexico through the One World One Heart foundation.

After another two hours of walking the team rejoined in Sirkot and immediately began setting up the new camp. A local welcome ceremony brought the community together to thank and recognize the work of our team and the special efforts of our head doctor Del Enders and the heads of the Himalayan Quests Foundation Kate and Amrit Ale. The plaques they received came from the new birthing center to acknowledge the support and financial aid that has been provided to build and run the center. In the last year, 35 babies have been delivered and two midwives sent by the government to work there.

The ceremony came to an end and we started work for an hour seeing the patients that walked farthest to be here today before ending for the day by 5pm. We look forward to a full day of work tomorrow at our new site. In total, 38 were registered and 56 consultations completed.