Amid the crowing of roosters, blatting of motor scooters and rumbling of diesel engines at Wat Tham Krabok, there is a more ominous sound.
It’s the nasty hawking sound that starts deep in the throats of the Hmong refugees, and is followed by the “ptooey” of spit. It’s a stomach-turning sound, a sign of one of the largest health problems of the village — respiratory illness.
Lung problems are often the focus of Dr. Rachain Weannara, 46, a Thai doctor who heads the bare-bones medical facilities at Wat Tham Krabok.
Weannara works for the International Organization for Migration, the agency in charge of day-to-day primary health care for the refugees, medical evaluations of the immigrants for the U.S. government, and the logistics needed to get the refugees to the United States.
The IOM primary health care clinic, which opened in April, gives Wat Tham Krabok refugees basic care.
Respiratory illnesses stemming from the site’s dust, pollution and poor septic facilities account for most of the cases treated by Weannara.
In a week in mid-July, Weannara said, he saw about 460 patients. They had everything from the hacking coughs to diarrhea to simple flu. Tuberculosis is also a concern.
The most serious problems, such as that of 18-year-old Hue Chang, require trips to the Thai hospital located in the city of Phra Phuttabhat, about a half-mile from the camp. Chang, who is so weak he requires help to get out of bed, was found by a Thai doctor to have swelling and blisters in his large intestines.
He’s had two surgeries, and still is ailing. His family, due to resettle in Appleton, owes about 39,300 baht, or $980, in outstanding medical bills. They can earn about $3.75 for eight to 12 hours of simple labor.
“Our big concern is that we don’t (really) know what’s wrong with him,” said Chang’s older brother Va Chang. “Our next concern is we don’t have the money to help him.”
