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august 2020
Dear friends of Nepal,
Mesdames, Messieurs,
We hope that all is well with you, despite the problems posed by the health situation. It affects everyone, many families are in mourning and are lamenting the loss of one of their members, others are frightened of losing their jobs and the future of many businesses is very uncertain.
Our association is also suffering from the consequences of the pandemic ; there are more and more cancellations, for example of our general assembly, the meal which normally follows the assembly, all events such as bazaars etc, and the loss of revenue caused by the cancellations of events is considerable. Below I set out the struggle which our partner in Nepal is facing every day and you will see that they need our support more than ever.
Therefore I call upon your solidarity and request that you continue to support us. Let’s work together, all of us, and we shall turn the tide.
I thank you for your generosity, please take care and, bleift gesond.
Namaste,
Last summer I was lucky enough to rediscover Nepal after an absence of 6 years. Meeting people again, emotions, tears and laughter were the features of my first visit since the earthquakes of 2015, and I could see that the scars were still very visible. I experienced the satisfaction of seeing the progress at Dhulikhel hospital and the disappointment of seeing whole villages still in ruins.
The embarrassment when the head nurse of the operating theatre thanked me again and again for the equipment purchased and the consternation in the laboratory when one of the machines we sent no longer worked because of a lack of vials.
The astonishment at seeing so many patients and the surprise on learning that 1 200 people visit every day. The disappointment at not being able to visit the new hospital at Dolakha which Nepalimed financed because of the condition of the roads due to the monsoon.
The happiness of seeing Nepal through the eyes of my 6-year old grandson, an unforgettable experience.
Road between Dhulikhel and the district of Dolakha during the monsoon
In March we received a first email with news of the pandemic in Nepal. There is a lack of everything: protective clothing, masks, testing kit. The hospital received 600 testing kits for around 2 million people. The government manages the purchases for the whole country, the numbers of infected and deaths communicated are not correct. Doctor Roshan Kumar Mahato was in Dolakha in “our” hospital when the confinement was introduced and had to stay there, his wife works practically day and night in the laboratory of the hospital at Dhulikhel. The guidelines of the WHO are strictly adhered to, administrative staff are teleworking, a part of the hospital is reserved for those with infections.
At the end of March there was a call for help : a second PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) machine for the analysis of tests was required. The hospital has been designated as a platform for the emergency healthcare services by the Ministry of Health and Population and the requests for tests for the detection of the new virus arrive from the whole country. NepaliMed Luxembourg financed this PCR machine as a matter of urgency with a total cost of 32 520,00 €.
Fever control at Dholakha Hospital
Possibility to wash one’s hands
Finally, we received some good news:
At the end of 2019 Dholakha hospital entered into service.
A big thank you to you all who enabled an investment on the ground of 687 301,52 € over 3 years.
Staff basic training
Dental service
Electrocardiogram
Radiant heat apparatus
Rooms
Our project enabled the purchase of material in 2019 to the value of 323 106,92 € including inter alia: a mobile x-ray machine, a Holium Laser, a neo-natal Ventilator, a transportable incubator for newborns etc.
Our 2020 draft budget for the purchse of material is in preparation and foresees the purchase of equipment for the new Dholakha Hospital for a total cost of around 360 000,00 €.