Supporting the Newborn Life Support (NLS) Course at Dhulikhel Hospital

On the 27th and 28th March 2016, an overseas team of six from the UK and Quatar, coordinated by Dr Anil Tuladhar, Consultant Paediatrician at University Hospital of North Tees, conducted a two day Newborn Life Support (NLS) course at Dhulikhel Hospital in the Kathmandu Valley.

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The course was fully subscribed very quickly, with the maximum of 25 participants attending both days. 

Feedback for the format and conduct of the course was excellent with many participants stating that this was the most "hands on" simulation-based neonatal life support course they had attended.

Health Exchange Nepal (UK) is delighted to have sponsored the course and provided the necessary equipment required, including manikins. The course was run in collaboration with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (UK) and ably supported by the Dhulikhel Hospital team.

The team plans to run this course every year and reach out to other areas in Nepal to attend.

Barbara Harrison, Retired Ward Matron Neonatal Unit from Northern Deanery in UK, also conducted three days of neonatal advanced care training to the Dhulikhel nurses prior to the NLS course.

Hoorah for Harry in the Himalayas

It takes a lot for TV crews and photographer to return to a past disaster once it has slipped from the front pages.

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       IMAGE BY: European Pressphoto Agency

So with the anniversary of the devastating earthquakes, which killed thousands of people and changed many more lives forever with long-term injuries approaching, it was perfect timing for the UK’s Prince Harry to undertake an awareness raising trip to the country. His visit was to both mark 200 years of formal diplomatic relations between the UK and Nepal, and also to highlight the progress in recovering from the earthquakes.

Like many of our HExN teams, Prince Harry spent time in both Kathmandu and remote villages, reminding millions of people internationally about how widespread the impact was.

Nepali hospitality shines through

The Kensington Palace media team have an international reputation, and the photo-opportunities were superb, from Prince Harry sleeping in local houses, to being named honorary head of a village, daubed in red paint as part of celebrations for Holi and playing volleyball, a sport very popular in village areas where clear, level ground is often at a premium.

The hospitality, generosity and remarkable fortitude of Nepal’s people shone through in every photo, and clearly impacted on the prince, who had served alongside Gurkhas when he was deployed in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry’s message, covered by UK and international media, was clear:

“I pay my respects to those who perished and hope to do what I can to shine a spotlight on the resilience of the Nepali people."

Tourism is key to Nepal's recovery

However, Prince Harry’s trip was not purely about reflecting the impact of the earthquakes, and the country’s work to recover.

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Patan Durbar Square after the earthquakes

He sent out a strong message about the value and role of tourism, visiting artisans and apprentices working to restore the royal palace at Patan Durbar Square, which was heavily damaged by the quake. The prince held talks with Nepal's first female president, Bidya Devi Bhandari, when both recovery and tourism were on the agenda.

Talking to tourists during one of his walkabouts, Prince Harry said to one family:

“Well done, it's so, so important to encourage people to come back. Why wouldn't you come back here? It's beautiful."

The Prince’s words have a resonance to all of us who are privileged to have visited Nepal. Like Prince Harry, the country has found a place in our hearts. And we are not alone.

The UK has been one of the largest bilateral donors to Nepal, with a total commitment of £70 million in earthquake relief, according to figures released by the Department for International Development.

The warmth which the British hold for Nepal was seen by the amazing response to HExN’s own #NoSocksRocks appeal, which raised £100,000 against an initial target of just £10,000.

The prince’s visit painted a picture of a country recovering from a natural disaster of almost unimaginable scale. With trekking once again beginning to pick up in Nepal and work on the rebuilding of the historic buildings continuing, the role which visitors can play in assisting the nation to progress was perfectly illustrated by this very special Royal visit.

Top Doctors Praise Scouse Fundraisers as Nepal Earthquake Appeal Hits £100,000 Target

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Leading doctors have praised the “amazing kindness” of Liverpudlians as a fundraising appeal for people in Nepal whose lives were devastated by earthquakes hits its £100,000 target.

Health Exchange Nepal UK (HExN) is a charity run by doctors from across the UK which provides clinical and educational support to healthcare organisations and schools in the Himalayan country, which saw 9,000 people perish and 23,000 suffer life-changing injuries in earthquakes in 2015.

In response, the charity, which is run on a shoestring, launched an ambitious £100,000 appeal – and Merseysiders gave the biggest donations, including £10,000 from the Merseyside School of Anaesthesia and a fundraising night at the city’s Mayur Restaurant, supported by the Avishkar charity, which made £3,700.

As a result, the doctors invited Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, to officially present the £10,000 cheque – and he even added a further £2,000 to the appeal total from his charity fund.

Dr Shambhu Acharya of HExN, who is a consultant anaesthetist at Aintree University Hospital, said: “We have been totally over-whelmed by the amazing kindness of people across Liverpool and Merseyside. No-one is paid in the charity, so every single penny donated makes a difference to the lives of people in Nepal.

“In the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes, we focused on providing survival kits and shelters. We then used more funds to help rebuild schools and supply hospitals, and assist small local charities working on the ground in Nepal. Now we are investing in longer term aid, such as helping strengthen Nepal’s rehabilitation services, which are very limited. These are the types of things which can help survivors who have had life-changing injuries.”

Mayor Joe Anderson said: “Liverpool has a vibrant and long-established Nepalese community, and it is heart-warming to see how people have rallied round to help. Liverpool’s kindness is known around the world and it is great to see how this generosity is helping thousands of people, from children to grandparents, who have been faced with such terrible experiences.”

Guest Blog: Dr Andreas Brodbeck

Dr Andreas Brodbeck, Consultant in Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine at James Paget University Hospital visited Nepal twice in 2015. He shares his story:

"One week after the April 2015 earthquake, a team of four doctors from James Paget University Hospital arrived in Kathmandu. We had been sent to provide medical help to Kirtipur Hospital which had dedicated its theatres for the overwhelming need for orthopaedic surgery.

Not knowing exactly where and how our team would be working, I had the opportunity to take an ultrasound (US) machine to perform regional nerve blocks, which proved to be a very helpful technique for the patients with upper and lower limb injuries.

The hospital’s anaesthetic team - already well trained in regional anaesthesia – learned how to work the ultrasound very quickly. Sadly I had to return back to the UK with the ultrasound scanner, but we agreed that I should return to provide a US guided regional anaesthesia workshop later in the year.

One of my Nepalese colleagues at James Paget University Hospital, Dr Kamal Aryal, had run a successful laparoscopic surgery course in Nepal for many years, supported by Health Exchange Nepal (HExN), and this organisation was quickly prepared to support my ultrasound workshop.  HExN even funded a new ultrasound machine which we were able to present to the Kirtipur Hospital anaesthetic team when I returned to run the workshop in December 2015.

The one day workshop was successful and the feedback from attendees was excellent. We want to consider a two-day course in the future that would include clinical work and exposure in theatres with patients."

James Paget University Hospitals Medics Deliver Ultrasounds In Nepal

Six months after their original mission, medics from the James Paget University hospitals (JPUH) have returned to Nepal to donate a new ultrasound machine funded by SonoSite and the charity Health Exchange Nepal (HExN).

During their original visit our medics used ultrasound on earthquake survivors to effectively deliver medical procedures and anaesthetic blocks. The medical facilities in Nepal aren’t as advanced as our own here in the UK and so they didn’t have an ultrasound machine themselves, but quickly saw the benefits the equipment offers.

After returning from Nepal in May this year, Kamal Aryal, a native to Nepal and a general surgeon at JPUH, decided he wanted to do more and started looking into getting the Nepalese medics a machine of their own. After months of arranging it is fantastic news that Mr Aryal and his colleague Andreas Brodbeck, an anaesthetist, are out in Nepal right now delivering training on the new machine.

Our medics are also keen on supporting education for children and have been personally fundraising to make sure education continues despite the destruction caused by the earthquake last April. They have visited two villages, Darbung and Arrubas, so far and are pleased to report building work has begun on new schools and methods are in place for bringing in clean water.

Andreas Brodbeck said: “Nepal has been a little forgotten in the media lately but it’s still a country that needs help. Very little has happened apart from the things inhabitants have managed to do themselves”.

Nepali Chef Teams Up With Top Surgeons In Liverpool To Raise Funds For Earthquake Survivors

A Nepali-born chef at Liverpool University is going back to his roots at the city’s leading Indian restaurant to help top doctors raise funds for earthquake survivors.

Mr Tika Ram Sapkota, formerly the head chef at the Mayur Indian restaurant in Duke Street, Liverpool, will be returning to cook up Nepali treats as part of a fundraising evening for Health Exchange Nepal UK on Sunday 4 October.

The UK-based charity is led by doctors who are running a £100,000 appeal to help survivors of the earthquakes which rocked the country in April, causing 9,000 deaths and leaving 23,000 people injured.

The fundraising evening at Mayur takes place from 5pm on Sunday 4 October, with a Bollywood professional dance display, followed by a delicious meal then a chance to take to the floor, with the dancers giving a masterclass.

The event has been arranged by breast surgeon Mrs Anu Shrotri, an Associate Specialist Breast and General surgeon at Aintree University Hospital.

Dr Shambhu Acharya, of Health Exchange Nepal, said: “We’re so grateful to Mrs Shrotri and to Mr Sapkota for supporting this wonderful evening. It will be a lot of fun, some great food and all for a very worthy cause.

“The Nepali earthquake has faded from the headlines now, but there’s still a massive need to help, because the country has no rehabilitation network. The funds raised for Health Exchange Nepal will massively improve the quality of life for survivors for decades to come.”

Aberystwyth Nepalese Community Holds Charity Dinner

In support of leprosy and the recent earthquake relief, on behalf of Health Exchange Nepal (UK), Aberystwyth Nepalese Community organised a fundraising charity dinner in the evening of 27th June 2015 at Aberystwyth Rugby Club. The event was well attended by families of doctors and nurses from Bronglais General Hospital, local GP Dr Heather Cox and her family, staff from Little Angel’s Nursery and Wales Assembly Government, and Aberystwyth Asian Community.

Retired community paediatrician Dr Junu Upadhyaya who personally witnessed the devastating first earthquake in Nepal welcomed and introduced about the event. Church Surgery GP Dr Heather Cox shared her 3 years experience of looking after leprosy patients in eastern part of the Nepal, the 4 years experience of working in community clinic in western Nepal. She also told her interesting story of how she met her husband Mr Jono Cox (hydropower engineer) in Nepal, and got married in the UK. Their daughter Hannah was born in Nepal. Dr Sandesh Acharya, GP from Liverpool told that although leprosy has been eradicated, there are still 1 in 20,000 effected people in Nepal who are living their life in hatred. These people need love and care. He mentioned about a small charity hospital called “SEWA KENDRA” in Kathmandu, run by few doctors to help patients with Leprosy, mainly for treatment and rehabilitation. He pledged for helping this hospital..

The evening was very emotional by listening to a story of former Penglais Pupil Mr Jan Zeber. Jan was travelling to Nepal for an adventurous trekking to Annapurna base camp while earthquake hit Nepal on 25th of April. He realised only after a week that his parents Dr Jack Zeber (Consultant Anaesthetist at Bronglais General Hospital)) and Dr Alexandra Zeber (GP in Padarn Surgery) were extremely worried about him, as he was out of contact while earthquake hit the country.

An active member and fund raiser of Health Exchange Nepal (UK) Dr Shambhu Acharya (consultant anaesthetist from Liverpool) gave an emotional talk on recent devastating earthquake and how people are helping for fund raising following the charity’s pledge. Around 20 Nepalese Doctors Volunteers went to Nepal for immediate medical help and distribution of relief materials. With the collected fund the charity has already constructed 100 temporary shelters for earthquake survivors in villages, and planning to construct more shelters, toilets, schools and health posts in villages (which will last for few years). The charity is looking forward to its ambitious project of establishing rehabilitation centre for survivors (who lost their limbs) at Dhulikhel Hospital, in collaboration with Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. It will involve construction of artificial limbs, training and teaching staff and rehabilitation of patients. Dr Acharya appreciated the help provided by local people.

Display of handicrafts and promotional video show about Nepal helped for learning  more about the country. The event was entertained by a small cultural programme. Aberystwyth University lecture Dr Dev Acharya sang a peace song about the Buddha and love to Nepal. Little Angel’s staff Mrs Pramita Khoju and guest from Liverpool Mrs Gyanu Ghimire performed beautiful Nepali dances in traditional nepali costumes. Penglais A level pupil Pramesh Khoju conducted raffle prizes and gave a vote of thanks to all attendants and non attendants who contributed for the event, and Aberystwyth Rugby Club.

The event raised around £1500.