We met these brothers at the Bayalpata Hospital patient check in area. The younger one was coming in to get the dressings on his head bandage changed. In Nepal, young children are largely responsible for the care of their even younger siblings. This is because parents must work long hours in the fields or tending to their shops. However, the lack of parental supervision can also be a cause for childhood illness and injury, including preventable falls, ingestion of non-edible items or unsanitary food or water, or feelings of neglect.
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Lindsey Youngquist is a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar studying Community Health in Nepal. She recently volunteered at Bayalpata Hospital in Achham.
