By Tony Sharpe | Project Leader
The reality of life in Nepal is worse than that! The Nepal Trust has established a chain of health clinics following the main trading route through Humla from Tibet and we continue to expand our network. However, it is still a tough walk over steep and rough mountain trails to reach the clinics; sometimes taking two days or more! For outlying and remoter villages it can take longer. Imagine having to carry an elderly relative or young child on your back over steep mountain trails for 8 hours to reach your doctor - it doesn't bear thinking about unless, of course, you live in the Hidden Himalayas. The Trust is working hard to to improve this situation and provide a reliable and efficient health service for all.
In the four months from April to July our clinics treated over 4500 patients. The monsoon season will cause more sickness and we expect patient figures to increase during this period. However, we see a gradual improvement in overall general health as our efforts to reach people and educate the young in particular begins to have an effect. Combined with our other approaches of providing clean renewable energy and income earning jobs we expect to see a gradual year-on improvement.
Our new season Little Doctors health education programme has started and 66 young students have enrolled for this four month course that will raise their awareness of health matters including personal hygiene, family planning, diseases, sanitation, first aid and nutrition. Classes are organised and run through local schools and delivered through trained health workers from the Nepal Trust, local school teachers and local government health workers.
The Nepal Trust works with the government to provide health care according to national legislation. Recently central government has delegated responsibility for health management and delivery to a district committee. The Trust is working very closely with this committee for future direction of our health programme.
Our first Birthing Centre at Bargaun is nearing completion and will open up a whole new opportunity for mothers to give birth under safe conditions for the first time ever. The next two centres at Yari and Sarkegad are well into the planning stage for construction from 2014. There is a small shortfall in funding and we would welcome any additional support and help to close the gap.
The Trust welcomes any feedback, help or advice you can give. Our whole ethos is based on dedicated volunteers who give their time, money and skills to our cause. please contact us if you would like to help in some other way.
Finally, we have attached our latest newsletter that gives a wider picture of our work in this remote and impoverished area. It describes other areas of work designed to give the local people new opportunities and a healthier lifestyle. Ultimately, that is what it is all about!
By Tony Sharpe | Project Leader
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