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Wound care expert visits China

26 April 2006

Monash wound care expert Ms Jan Rice has spent a week in Kunming in south-west China helping care for people who have been treated for leprosy.

Monash wound care expert Ms Jan Rice (right), with Ms Jean Watson, from Project Grace, and a villager in Kunming, China.

Ms Rice, from the Victorian College of Pharmacy, worked with Project Grace, a not-for-profit non-government organisation involved in caring for people who have suffered leprosy. She was a guest of Professor Terrence Ryan, Chairman of the International Foundation of Dermatologists.

During her trip, Ms Rice aimed to learn more about treating the effects of leprosy from other health professionals and to offer hands-on assistance in remote villages.

She said the harsh conditions in Kunming meant good health care was rare.

"Many people who receive appropriate medications still need assistance with basic health practices and wound care," she said.

"We travelled on very rudimentary roads to treat people who were in great need and talked to people about simple things like using charcoal to take away smells."

Ms Rice is now hoping to develop a wound care manual for people in rural and remote areas, with an emphasis on clear and simple pictorial and diagram-based learning. She would also like to develop an online manual for aid workers in third world countries.

Ms Rice is planning to develop a module for the Graduate Certificate in Wound Care at the Victorian College of Pharmacy based on her experiences in Kunming. She believes it could become a valuable resource for volunteers and others involved in aid work in developing countries.