Thursday, April 17, 2008

August 2008: Healthcare Update from Nepal


The village of Thulo Syabru, located in the Rasuwa District of Nepal, has been working with The Mountain Fund for the past three years, to turn their idea of a health clinic into reality. This past March, TMF Founder, Scott MacLennan, and Thulo Syabru resident, Bhunima Lama, worked for one month to prepare the clinic’s building for occupancy; by connecting a water supply system and extensive cleaning of the interior. We are happy to announce that the clinic had its grand opening in April.

To reach Thulo Syabru it’s a three hour walk from the nearest road. Before this clinic, sick or injured people, including pregnant women, had to walk three hours down a steep trail to go to a health post and three hours back up the same steep trail to reach home safely. The amount of people served by this clinic is geographically huge, and reaches as far as Gossaikund, a three day walk from here. The clinic is strategically located at the convergence of the Helembu and Langtang trails, and so it can also assist trekkers who need first aid.

The clinic is staffed with one CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) and a Staff Nurse, and costs less than $2.00 (US) per family, per year, to operate. Medicine is sold at wholesale cost, and we do not turn patients away if they don’t have any money. Since its grand opening in April, the clinic has been treating 3 patients per day.

For more information about our projects, please visit www.mountainfund.org

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