By Sanam D Sherpa | Program director
WHEN HELP IS HOURS AWAY, A HEALTH POST CAN SAVE LIVES
Phuleli Health Post | Project Update – The Small World (TSW)
Imagine being pregnant, falling seriously ill, or having a sick child, and knowing that the nearest hospital is eight hours away on foot. For the people of Phuleli, in the remote Everest region of Nepal, this is not an imagined situation. It is their everyday reality.
The nearest district hospital is approximately eight hours away by foot or three to four hours by road along extremely rough mountain routes. These roads are relatively new and become inaccessible during periods of rain and snowfall. In an emergency, reaching a hospital is not always possible. Sometimes, the journey itself becomes another risk.
This is why Phuleli Health Post matters. It is not just a small village clinic; it is the first and often only line of medical support available to the community.
The facility is led by Kamal Kumari, a former graduate of The Small World (TSW), who now serves as its in-charge alongside two other health workers. Together, they provide essential medical care to people who would otherwise have very limited access to treatment. For elderly residents who cannot manage long journeys, pregnant women who need timely attention, and mothers caring for sick children, having healthcare within reach makes an enormous difference.
Even keeping this basic facility operational requires remarkable effort. Medicines are transported from Kathmandu through a journey involving a 45-minute flight, several hours of driving to the end of the accessible road, and then hours of carrying supplies on foot through difficult mountain terrain. Delivering essential medicines to this village takes days, not because the supplies are complicated, but because reaching the people who need them is so difficult.
Yet, despite these geographical and logistical challenges, the health post continues to serve its community.
For many people, its value cannot be measured by the number of rooms, medical equipment or facilities it has. It is measured in the hours of travel they do not have to make, the treatment they can receive closer to home, and the reassurance of knowing that when someone in their family falls ill, there is somewhere nearby to seek help.
Healthcare should not be a privilege determined by how close someone lives to a hospital.
Through its continued support for Phuleli Health Post, TSW is committed to reaching communities that are often left beyond the reach of essential services. We may not be able to bring a district hospital closer to this village overnight, but we can help ensure that the basic healthcare available to its people does not disappear.
For the people of Phuleli, this small health post means something much bigger than a medical building. It means having someone to turn to when they are sick, having care closer to home, and knowing that even in one of Nepal's most isolated communities, they have not been forgotten.
By Karma Sherpa | Executive Director & Co-Founder
By Karma Sherpa | Executive Director & Co-Founder
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