Wishing our Nepali family, friends and colleagues around the world, good health, and happiness at this special festival time and always.
Bijendra Aryal, Nestling Trust director in Nepal has been to visit Bikram Bhadel, a pharmacist whose workplace is opposite the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. The visit was the result of the Nestling Trust seeing the following article: (https://apnews.com/c1cd52ef723a5435aef7dd339a99af23?fbclid=IwAR0Gxd19tIvWBVWXC1aq6qQT7EfSJmWToDNIy52bVDjzewfB6dTb9E_Ii28) The following was reported: KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — From his pharmacy outside Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Bikram Bhadel saw what happened when coronavirus lockdowns closed the facility’s cafeteria and nearby cafes. “Every day I watched the patients, their families, doctors and other health workers struggling to get a good meal,” Bhadel said. “They were already having a tough time and the food situation was making it worse. This is where I decided that I need to step in and help out.” He took 1 million rupees ($8,333) out of his family’s savings. And with the help of his friend Indra Kumar Newar -- a taxi driver who had no work in recent months due to the lockdowns -- he rented a vacant restaurant across the street from the hospital, bought groceries and hired a few helpers. Now, at one of Nepal’s largest hospitals, more than 200 COVID-19 patients, doctors, nurses and workers get hot, tasty and nutritious food three times a day. “I have heard there is no medicine for the COVID-19 patients and the only thing to do is to take care of them and give them health food to help recover and regain their immunity. This is what we are trying to do to help,” Bhadel said. The meals are vegetarian, prepared after consulting with nutritionists. They offer a combination of rice, lentil, beans, vegetables, fruit and salad for brunch and dinner, and snacks in afternoon. They begin their day early in the morning. preparing hundreds of meals. Food is packed in disposable packets and carried by Bhadel and Newar to the hospital reception area, where the staff eagerly awaits. “The doctors and health workers have been working risking their own lives and away from their families. It was time to do something for them when they need them,” Newar said. Staffers work and stay at the hospital for a week on duty and then another week in quarantine before they are allowed to return home for a week off work. While they are at the hospital, their only access to hot meals has been what the team delivers. Nepal -- which has 49,219 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 312 deaths -- first imposed a lockdown in March, which lasted for four months. A second lockdown was set last month in nearly half the country when the numbers kept rising. Bhadel and Newar estimate they spend about 50,000 rupees ($416) a day for groceries. They have hired 11 cooks and helpers, all of them paid minimum wage and are regularly tested for the virus. Families, friends and neighbours have donated food, money and supplies. Bhadel and Newar have paid the rent for three months. “We are hopeful the situation will get better in three months,” Bhadel said, “but if that does not happen, we will continue our work.” The Nestling Trust will contribute food needed for the preparation of meals in support of this amazing project.
KATHMANDU: The Health Ministry has reported 1,325 new cases of coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours taking the national tally to 64,122.
Today’s reported infections in the Kathmandu valley is 59.05 per cent of the country’s total cases. 11 more Covid-19 fatalities were recorded on Saturday bringing the total nationwide death toll to 427. Despite the escalating figures the government released the lockdown in Nepal on Thursday. Thousands have already lost jobs and livelihoods due to the lockdown which has been in place since March. It has been reported in the Himalayan Times that 400 Nepalese people per day are risking the high prevalence of Coronavirus in India (cases now estimated as 90,000), and are returning in order to find jobs. The girls are taught cooking skills and love to prepare Nepali food. Today Panipuri is on the menu, a delicious recipe of chopped mixed vegetables and spices inside a pastry crust.
The Himalayan times reported today that the total number of people infected with coronavirus has increased to 50,465. 1246 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours.
The death toll now stands at 317. The lockdown is beginning to be eased albeit with restrictions. The Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 1120 new cases of coronavirus infection from across the country. Nepal’s Covid-19 tally now stands at 41,649 with 251 deaths. Lockdown has now been extended until at least 9th September '20, causing extreme hardship for families who now have no work. Schools remain closed and children from the poorer backgrounds are unable to access distance online learning.
Krishna is now eight years old and continues to flourish with his friends at SERC School for children with special needs, in Kathmandu.
Once unable to stand, walk, talk or move his arms or hands, Krishna is now able to join in games, is learning how to read and write, is independent in dressing and feeding himself, and manages four-word sentences. The Nestling Trust (TNT) found Krishna two weeks before a devastating earthquake destroyed the home where he lived with his Grandfather. To ensure his safety his grandfather would tie him to the verandah while he made pots, to earn money for food. He had no hope of any medical intervention to help his development. With Krishna's Grandfather's permission, TNT was able to have Krishna assessed and he was welcomed into Serc school. TNT is most grateful to all the staff at SERC for all they have done to help Krishna, their care, unwavering patience, and skills have enabled Krishna to make amazing strides towards independence, as well as a happy childhood. Krishna's Grandfather is able to visit. TNT with SITARA, our partner NGO, has established a Health Post in Marbu, the remote village where Krishna was born, as well as Health Posts in four other remote villages in Nepal, altogether serving approximately 28,000 people who would otherwise have no medical facility. (See 'health Initiative' section) Should you wish to help TNT in this work, we'd be immensely grateful for any donation. Those known to have Coronavirus has now reached 29,645 with numbers escalating daily especially in the Kathmandu valley. This has led the government to announce a week long prohibitory order enforced in Kathmandu valley effective from Wednesday 19th August at midnight.
The Himalayan Times reports that the prohibitory order has been issued to 'discourage unwarranted movement of people in order to control the increasing spread of coronavirus infection in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur....' Nepal's Community Health Service post Covid-19 - a personal view by Dr Arun from Charikot Hospital16/7/2020
I am Dr. Arun Upreti.
I am currently working as a Staff Physician in Charikot Hospital from Nyaya Health Nepal. Previously I worked as a medical officer for Government of Nepal in the same institute for 2 years. Charikot Hospital is operated in by Nepal Government in Partnership with Nyaya Health Nepal. Charikot Hospital is the largest health care provider in the district and provides health care services to over 50,000 annually. COVID has been a unique challenge for Nepalese health care system. The rural health care system which is run mostly by paramedics, nurses and fresh MBBS graduates is particularly vulnerable due to lack of adequately trained human resource, unavailability of COVID tests, under funded quarantine and isolation centers. Nepal government’s policies and guidelines are not replicated at the local level. I have now been working here for 2 months during the COVID pandemic - the only protection that I use is a N95 mask and gloves. The fever clinic is almost non functional. We feared working like that initially but now it has become a norm. There is a little difference between us practicing medicine pre and post COVID. Other public health measures like point of entry testing, community screening, contact tracing and surveillance do not meet the standards recommended in national protocols. Most teams are formed with inadequately trained staffs without proper IT and communication facilities. However there has been vast community engagement, thanks largely to the lockdowns which has completely changed the lives of everyone. Agencies and health care workers across all level are engaged in health education about COVID. Use of masks and hand washing has been prompted at all levels through available health facilities and FCHVs. While lockdowns have been important in curbing the spread of COVID, it has brought several impediments to health seeking behaviour of people. Due to unavailability of transportation facilities the number of patients in our OPDs has halved. The obstetric cases have been on the rise probably due to lack of services in other centers and people not having access to higher centers. As many complicated obstetric cases cannot go to higher centers in Kathmandu, our CS rate has also been on the rise. We have also seen too many cases of ruptured appendix, strangulated hernia all probably due to lack of elective procedures. Mental health is an aspect that has been overlooked. We have seen a significant rise in suicides in the district. We have been performing autopsies almost everyday, and the average autopsies for suicides has almost doubled in the last few months. The elderly and single women have also been significantly affected by the lockdowns. Many of them cannot get the health care they need. We had one elderly women who presented to our center with fractured femur, which needed operative management. None of her family members were willing to take her to higher center for treatment. We get similar stories almost everyday. Some day its a fracture needing operative management, other days it COPD requiring ICU admissions. Most have given up on treatment for the elderly because of lack of transport and risk of COVID infection. I strongly believe these are the areas that needs significant work and should be important part of the COVID response. I believe we need community based programs that are related to mental health. Also assistance to elderly, single women and pregnant mothers especially for transportation would be particularly helpful in the lockdown. It is with sadness we report that due to torrential rains there was a landslide at Sarangkot on Friday. It was 300 metres below the Nestling Children's Home but swept away the homes of villagers. Tragically seven people were killed including three children, and others injured.
Thankfully all the girls and staff at the Children's Home are safe. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and their loved ones and those who are injured. Thousands of jobless Nepali migrant workers are coming back into Nepal from India - many held waiting at the border.
It was reported that 4000 arrived last week without proper testing and are returning to their villages all over Nepal. Some are in quarantine but we understand that many are running away from quarantine areas due to lack of food. The Virtual Summit of Everest has been reached, and there is still time to donate!
On 30th June '20, Nepalese prayer flags flew high in the wind to greet the team's success as they made the final push to reach height of the top of the highest mountain in the world. The High Hopes team with members scaling Strawberry Hill 145 times and our NZ team members scaling Rangitoto and surrounding hills, all through the month of June, have each hiked 8848 metres! This is a great achievement and The Nestling Trust thanks the whole team for their determination and efforts, over £8000 has been raised, an amazing result, to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, and to support the vulnerable communities in Nepal. We are immensely grateful to all who have taken part in this remarkable challenge, all those who have supported us along the way, and to those who have donated, your generosity will help save lives. The Virtual Summit of Everest has been reached! Last night Nepalese prayer flags flew high in the wind to greet the team's success as they made the final push to the top.
The High Hopes team with members scaling Strawberry Hill 145 times and our NZ team members scaling Rangitoto and surrounding hills, all through the month of June, have each hiked 8848 metres! This is a great achievement and The Nestling Trust thanks the whole team for their determination and efforts, over £6000 has been raised, an amazing result, to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, and to support the vulnerable communities in Nepal. We are immensely grateful to all who have taken part in this remarkable challenge, all those who have supported us along the way, and to those who have donated, your generosity will help save lives. It is the highest camp on Everest in an area known as The Death Zone! It is where climbers rest the night before making the final push to the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Our virtual challenge to reach the height of Everest spares us those cold, dark hours, and fear of the icy unknown, where life or death hangs in the balance.
Our challenge is Strawberry Hill, 145 times to reach the magical 8848m! Thank you to all those who are supporting us, encouraging us and making donations - together we will be able to help save lives, reducing the spread of Covid-19 in vulnerable communities in Nepal. Virtually climbed Lhotse Face where fixed ropes have to be used to get across a sheer wall of ice, and where ice blocks can catapult down the mountainside, they say one slip and you're gone - thank heaven for Strawberry Hill in June, where the only slip is into a field of barley!
However, Hiking the Height of Everest remains a big Challenge, ice or no ice, thank you to everyone for all your support and encouragement. The Nestling Trust High Hopes Team has one purpose - to raise funds to help reduce the spread of Covid -19 in the vulnerable communities of Nepal, and so, to save lives. The Nestling Trust is running a campaign to Hike the Height of Everest (Virtually) The Team High Hopes has members in the Wiltshire and New Zealand. It is a huge effort with the aim of saving lives in the vulnerable communities of Nepal.
Coronavirus is escalating in Nepal. It is reported that at least 83,020 Nepali migrant workers have returned from India alone, with at least 400 still entering Nepal daily. India is fourth in the table of the worst Coronavirus hit countries with figures still soaring. Thousands more are returning from the Gulf countries and China. Nepal's frail health system is struggling with inadequate testing and with thousands heading for the remotes villages, the situation is of huge concern. The Nestling Trust with SITARA their partner NGO, has already provided vital medical equipment, PPE, disinfectant and soap for the Health Posts it has established, but much more is needed to support their work, to quarantine those newly arriving and to ensure needy families have food and soap at this time of crisis. It is a slow ascent virtually through the Silent Valley and although a stunning place, apparently the clouds roll in from the lower ranges of the Himalayas up the valley and into the camp which is on the last rocky place at the foot of the icy Lhotse wall.
In reality, clouds certainly did roll in, over Strawberry Hill - many clouds and heavy with rain! We remain fired with the purpose of this virtual Everest Challenge - to help save lives in Nepal. to edit. Today (18 June 2020) the active cases are 7848 (Seven Thousands Eight Hundred Forty Eight). COVID 19 is escalating in Nepal daily. t is the 87th day of lockdown, but still Nepali people, from neighbouring countries, mainly India are returning. They are migrant workers who have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 and lockdown everywhere.
The situation is getting worse day by day. In the last ten days cases those found to be infected have doubled. The Nestling Trust (TNT) through their partner NGO SITARA, provided PPE - surgical masks, gloves, soap, sanitizer, disinfectant etc. to Health Posts in five remote areas of Dolakha Nepal. Should Covid-19 spread to such remote areas it will be disastrous due to the lack of very basic medical items. People from those areas have no easy access to facilities, where symptoms of the COVID-19 can be treated. They have to travel long way to visit the Primary Health Centre or a hospital and the roads and tracks across the mountains are very bad and often impassable. We have heard from the remote Health Posts of Chilankha and Lapilang (established by TNT and SITARA in 2016) that so far the villagers are safe. They are following the World health Organisation and government guidelines to prevent infection by COVID 19. Nurses are teaching effective hand washing and self-distancing measures. Due to the continuous lockdown and resulting loss of livelihoods, hunger is becoming a major problem. TNT is helping reduce the spread of the coronavirus and we are thankful to TNT from the bottom of our heart. Subash Shiwakoti These members of the High Hope Team have become part of the scenery hiking up Strawberry Hill at all times from dawn to dusk and in all weathers! They have taken up the challenge to Hike the Height of Everest, to help raise funds to provide medical supplies and food to the vulnerable areas of Nepal to help reduce the spread of the Coronavirus and save lives in Nepal.
As the sun sets on Day 7 of the virtual Everest Challenge to save lives in Nepal, High Hopes Team members have been out all hours, from the break of dawn to sunset this week, including our members in New Zealand who even managed to catch a fish whilst doing a quick detour! All are hiking the height of Everest Base Camp 5500m or to the 8848m summit, scaling hills near their home. The aim is to raise funds to provide medical supplies to health posts in the vulnerable areas of Nepal to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and to give rice and lentils to those without food.
Here are a few images from the week - you will notice that Caroline has achieved a first, in being the first person to ever push a bike up Everest! Amazing enthusiasm - huge thank you to everyone taking part and to the wonderful people who are sponsoring us. Liz and Liz are joining the Nestling Trust High Hopes Team. They are aiming to reach the virtual height of Everest Base Camp during June, to help raise funds to help save lives in Nepal.
Well done for taking up the Challenge, and a very warm welcome from all other Team members. |
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