Free Health Camp 2019

Free Health Camp 2019

Background

Nepal is one of the poorest country which ranked 18th in the world and 2nd in Asia (IMF, 2014). Nepal is 90th position in the overall Legatum Prosperity Index 2018.ย  Nepal has made significant progress, reducing poverty by 25%, however, half of the population of Nepal still lives on the poverty line. The devastating earthquake of 2015 and the economic blockade has stymied development and increased poverty in the country. Lack of infrastructure and facilities are the main cause of high unemployment and low-wages for the people of Nepal.

SIndhupalchowk District is the one of the remote mountainous district of Nepal. The earthquake in 2015 damaged most in this district and killed highest number of people. Rehabilitation and reconstruction are being done, still most of the people in the district are deprived of using basic facilities.

The Himalayan Nepal Foundation is working to aid the poor by tackling one of the key areas of issue: improving health and education conditions in rural areas. By providing emergency medical support for those in poverty, the Nepalese people will get the boost they need to start recovering from the disasters that have beset them.

Objectives

The main objective of the Free Health Camp 2019 is to provide basic health facilities in the rural areas of Nepal. The specific objectives are:

  • Provide basic health checkup in rural areas
  • Distribute free medicine for the treatment of poor people.
  • Provide basic Lab test facilities for the diagnosis.

Date and Venue

HImalayan Nepal foundation with other supporters has organized two-day free health camp at Shree Terse Secondary School situated at Melamchi-06, Talamarang of Sindhupalchowk on November 8 and 9, 2019. The free health camp was technically supported by Indrawati Community Service Center, Nepal Medical College Hospital, Nepal Pediatric Society (Kanti Children’s Hospital).

Other Supporter of Free Health Camp

This free health camp was managed and financially supported by Melamchi Municipality, GreaterGood USA, Royal Handicraft Industry, Trance Trip Garment Industry Pvt. Ltd, Team Nepal, Melamchi Municipality ward no. 6 and Nabil Bank.

Health Camp Team

A total of 56 persons facilitated to operate the free health camp 2019. The list of doctors, medical students, pharmacists, ophthalmologist and management team of health camp are mentioned below:

List of Nepalese Doctors

  1. Dr. Sunil Kumar Joshi
  2. Komal Bikram Thapa
  3. Bibeka Shrestha
  4. Pratiksha Pathak
  5. Kiran Acharya
  6. Sabita Jyoti
  7. Prasanna Lama
  8. Nikita Bhattarai
  9. Shruti Shah
  10. Renu Twanabasu
  11. Santripti Shrestha
  12. Bidhi Regmi
  13. Sushma Sharma Bajagain
  14. Sanjay Aryal
  15. Ram Hari Chapagain
  16. Usha Sapkota
  17. Harshit Gurung (Intern)
  18. Nimisha Dhakal (Intern)
  19. Sudipta Rajbhandary (Intern)

List of Medical Students

  1. Dikshya Mulmi
  2. Monalisa Dhakal
  3. Shova Sapkota
  4. Rajendra Yonjan
  5. Kshiring Syangbo
  6. Saransh Ghimire
  7. Anukul Subedi
  8. Sujata Maharjan
  9. Dikshya Khatiwada
  10. Lumu Manandhar
  11. Salvia Joshi
  12. Sadiksha Thapa
  13. Ashma Thapa
  14. Prajwal Khanal
  15. Nisha Khadka
  16. Stuti Manandhar
  17. Bijay Panta
  18. Kriti Nepal

List of Foreign Doctors

  1. Dr. Mark Hcemacinski
  2. Dr. Goroun Johnson

List of Pharmacists

  1. Samar Rai
  2. Suvekshya Sharma

List of Management Team Members

  1. Krishna Prasad Sharma Ghimire (Chairperson of HIM Foundation)
  2. Apsara Chapagain (Vice-Chairperson of HIM Foundation) [overall coordination]
  3. Krishna Prasad Pandey (Treasurer of HIM Foundation)
  4. Dhurba Prasad Pandey (Secretary of HIM Foundation)
  5. Sudeep Ghimire (Member of HIM Foundation)
  6. William Gregg Blyth (Honorary Member of HIM Foundation)[Coordination and management of Doctors from USA]
  7. Neel Bahadur Shahi (Chairperson of Team Nepal)
  8. Aman Dangaura (Senior Program Officer, COFSUN, Nepal)
  9. Samata Pandey (Student)
  10. Hira Bahadur Waiba (Helper)
  11. Purna Bahadur Tamang (Helper)
  12. Ram Bahadur Majhi (Helper)

List of Ophthalmologists

  1. Bamal Bahadur BC
  2. Rajan Dulal
  3. Jivan Neupan

 

Free Health Camp Activities

Inauguration Ceremony

On November 8, 2019 a short inauguration ceremony was organized to start free health camp formally. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Krishna Prasad Sharma, chairperson of Himalayan Nepal Foundation and chief guest was Mr. Dammar Bahadur Aryal, Mayor of Melamchi Municipality. The chief guest inaugurated the free health camp lightening the candle. During inauguration, he spoke in h isremark that free health camp was advertise and disseminated its information all over the municipality and hope to be provide satisfactory service to the people of municipality and committed to support in such work in coming days. Mr. Neel Bahdur Shahi, chairperson of Team Nepal welcomed people in the free health camp and explained significance of conducting this camp at Melamchi. This ceremony was shortly closed to provide service to more people as possible.

Free Health Checkup and Free Medicine Distribution

The two two-day free health camps was managed deploying team in different units. The units are registration unit, laboratory test unit, pharmacy unit and check which is further categorized into specific checkup unit as general and bone, gynecology, eye, ENT, pediatric and skin. In the first unit, patients were registered with their details and health problem. They were checked their blood pressure and send for consultation and check up with doctors in respective checkup unit and lab test was done accordingly. After the consultation with doctors, the patient were given free medicine in the pharmacy unit on the basis of doctor’s prescription. A total of 902 patients were checked up and distributed them free medicine in which 607 were female and 395 were male patients. The team of Himalayan Nepal, Team Nepal and staff as well as students of Shree Terse Secondary School helped in managing patient and entire camp well managed. IN total 30 student regularly mobilized in the camp supporting and guiding patients in the registration process, giving direction to patients up to respective checkup nit and receiving medicine.

Some patient those who are in need of operation and further checkup were called to visit Indrawati Community Service Center and Til Gaga Eye Hospital. Two severe patients identified during the camp were done operation at Kathmandu Medical College Hospital.

Closing and Honor Ceremony

At the last day of free health camp, the closing and honor ceremony was organized at evening to honor and respect to the supporting individuals in the camp and close formally. The chief guest of ceremony was Mrs. Bagwati Nepal, vice mayor of Melamchi Mnicipality, and chaired by Mrs. Apsara Chapagain, vice chairperson of Himalayan Nepal Foundation. Letter of Appreciation was given to supporting organizations and token of love was given to technical the team, doctors and pharmacists. The foreign doctors and honorary member of this foundation were honored with Nepali Dhaka Topi (Nepali typical cap).

The foreign both doctors and honory member of this foundation expressed their happiness in their remark for being part of this camp and also said to support such event in future too. Similarly, Prof. Dr. Sunil Kumar Joshi, Dr. Komal Bikram Thapa and Dr. Sanjay Aryal have remarks to thank all the participants making this camp successful and expressed their joy to serve the local community and also requested to follow up as suggested. Chairperson of Team Nepal and Principal of Shree Terse Secondary School have also thanked to all participants and health camp team for organizing this camp in their community which was wonderful and fruitful serving a number of poor people and also said that they will be always committed in supporting such type of event. Mrs. Bhagati Nepal, vice mayor of Melamchi Municipality introduced health facilities in her remarks which are now available in the municipality such as free operation of uterus for female and also explained their planning which is to maintain health checkup system for old people who will come to receive old age allowance in the municipality office. She said that she will always ready to support this type of work in coming days. At last Mrs. Apsara Chapagain has given closing remarks and explained how the Himalayan Nepal Foundation was established and programs of the organization. She has also thanked to all supporting organizations, technical and non-technical team, hospital, school and other supporters and closed this two day free health camp formally assuring to organize such type of free health camp with supporting agencies in coming days.

 

Challenges

Organizing the health camp is the most challenging task. Following were the challenges faced during the health camp operation.

  • Fund raising for the free health camp is the most challenging task.
  • The remoteness of the district has created problem for camp team to reach and return from the site. Similarly, the patient felt uncomfortable to get up to the camp site for the checkup.
  • The mass participation at a sudden was very hard to manage.
  • Most of the cases were considerable however some were critical which need urgent operation and treatments. In such cases, they were noted and made them for follow up for further treatment under observation of the HNF. Therefore, management of additional fund for the follow up is also most challenging.
  • The demand of the medicine was unexpected in the health camp and it was hard to determine how much will be sufficient.
  • Coordination and collaboration with line agencies is also challenging for organizing free health camp.

Recommendations

Following are the recommendation of this free health camp:

  • Pre quick survey and study of the health problems in the community should be done for organizing health camp.
  • Specific Disease based health camp should be done for more effectiveness which can provide detailed checkup and diagnosis.
  • Treatment of some severe patients should be done which will be more fruitful.
  • Health camp should be continuously done.
  • Critical patients identified should be regularly followed up.

Conclusion

The two-day free health camp was successfully accomplished by Himalayan Nepal Foundation with the support of Melamchi Municipality, Team Nepal, GreaterGood USA, Royal Handicraft Industry, Trance Trip Garment Industry Pvt. Ltd. technical support of Indrawati Community Service Centet, Kathmandu Medical College Hospital, Nepal Pediatric Society (Kanti Children’s Hospital) and managed by Shree Terse Secondary School. This free health camp has provided services to more the 900 rural poor people of Sindhupalchowk in and around Melamchi Municipality. The HNF board team and honorary member, health campsโ€™ team, hospitals and schools had key role for conducting the programs. The follow up done with the critical cases identified in this free health camp had addition services showing high impact of the program for the sustainability and effectiveness.

 

Some Glimpse of the Free Health Camp 2019: