Medical care & rehabilitation changing lives Nepal

Namaste,

In this report we thought we would explain why MeRO sometimes has so many patient with burns.

In Nepal burns are the third-most common cause of injury affecting 2% of the population. Patients with burns are regular visitors to the Shelter because burns injuries are responsible for 5% of all disability in Nepal.

The high incidence of burns injuries is related to widespread energy poverty. In women and children, burns are most commonly caused by cooking on open fires or open fires being used for heating. Babies, like Dipsika are often bundled up in flammable blankets and put close to the fire for warmth. Jesika and Manita were also burned when sleeping next to a fire.

Burns injuries affecting men are more likely to be caused by electrocution, usually in the workplace. However, having said this, Sarbendra and Nirman were electrocuted by touching live wires, not knowing what they were. Electrocution related burns injuries regularly result in amputations.

With burns injuries, timely access to emergency care and resuscitation is critical but this does not always happen. 20% of people in Nepal with burns experience delays in accessing skilled, appropriate medical care. Time is critical to prevent sequelae of burn injuries like shock, acute kidney failure, compartment syndrome, wound progression and infection often resulting in amputation and burns contractures. The latter require regular release through surgery.

Reasons for such delays include poverty, low health literacy, a lack of both nearby appropriately resourced health facilities and suitably skilled medical staff. Transportation is difficult to access due to remote locations, challenging terrain, poor roadworks and the cost of transport.

For patients in Nepal who experience burns to more than 40% of their total body surface area, mortality rates are 95 to 100%. Many patients are only ever treated in a health post or district hospital because their family simply cannot afford for them to go to Kathmandu.

Your support ensures that patients like Dipsika, Sarbendra, Nirman, Manita, Jesika, Sita and all those patients who came before them receive the best acute care possible, as well as all the acute and ongoing nursing care, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services they require.

This is how you help change a life and as always, we cannot thank you enough for your generosity and support. The photo of Sarbendra being able to scratch himself with his new prosthetic arm says it all! 

With best wishes and grateful thanks,

Virginia Dixon

President, Roads to Rehab Nepal