Marhta Ham, 51, a Canadian volunteer teacher working in Dungtse Middle Secondary school in Phogmey, Trashingang died in Monger regional hospital on September 20. The school is mourning the death of this dedicated volunteer from the other side of earth.
According to the school Principal, Martha had taken a medical leave to go for health checkup in Trashigang Hospital, 37km away from Phongmey School. “She was suffering from cough and cold for a long time”, said the principal. She was teaching in the school for nine months.
Although she was referred to the Monger Hospital, the disease she contracted medically known as septicemia and multi-organ failure caused her death, according to the doctors in Monger hospital. Much to despair, the response from health and education ministry mobilizing a chopper to airlift her to Thimphu has simply gone with the wind because of the foggy and rainy weather.
Martha was teaching in Bhutan under the exchange program of Bhutan Canada Foundation, a charitable organization to help the Bhutanese students and other charitable works. She was a graduate of Bishop’s university where she completed BA, ESL certificate and recently M.Ed. She also had taught English to Tibetan refugees in Dharmasala in 2000.
Martha Ham was cremated in Trashigang on September 21 with the consent of her family in Canada.
very sad that foreigner who are working for the betterment of bhutan had to die thousand kilometers away from her home, canada.condonlences.
this cough and cold should not be taken lightly. once it is deeper inside, the mortality is very high. the late dasho rim,one of the richest man of bhutan had almost the similar problem. medicine could not help at the last moment.
bhutan has one of the poorest and difficult ambulance service in the country so emergency patients rarely survives in the remote and eastern part of bhutan.there is no helicopter ambulance service but very old fleet of japanese donated and indian donated ambulances which spent more time in the garage than plying.
take care of your health early.
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