HExN enjoys a fantastic Nepalese Doctor's Association AGM event

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HExN Committee members attended the Nepalese Doctor’s Association (NDA) 31st Annual General Meeting held in Newcastle from 29th – 31st July 2016.

140 delegates attended the event, most of which were Nepalese origin doctors based in the UK. The majority of these doctors are also members and active supporters of HExN. HExN has collaborated with NDA on a number of projects in Nepal over the past year.

HExN Chairman Satyan Rajbhandari led a forum on careers for junior doctors, highlighting the fact that charitable work counts positively in career progression in medicine. Other NDA members also spoke at the event about their charity work over in Nepal, including Kamal Aryal, Consultant of General Surgery at James Paget University Hospitals and NDA General Secretary. My Aryal presented an overview of the work of HExN in rebuilding schools and conducting the Laparoscopic surgery course at Dhulikhel Hospital just outside Kathmandu.  

Former NDA Chairman Dr Arun Jha discussed HExN’s support in providing training on post-traumatic stress disorder, and HExN committee members also managed a dedicated stand at the event.

Delegates were impressed with the work HExN is undertaking in Nepal and we are delighted to welcome 12 new members to the charity.  

Sandesh and Bhagteshwar's ABC Challenge - Days Three & Four

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Day 3 - Chhomrong to Dovan

Day 3 started decidedly colder than the other days. The altitude meant that the ambient temperature was colder. This day was easily the hardest of the trek starting with a decent of approximately 300m then a big ascent of approximately 400m towards Sinwa followed by a slow ascent to Dovan.

We faced a warm morning, a very hot midday, a rainy afternoon and heavy hail when we finally arrived at Dovan 8 hours after leaving Chomrong. I was really feeling the heavy pack at this point and made the difficult decision to leave a few things at Dovan before continuing up towards ABC.

I had found days 2 and 3 so difficult that I was concerned I would not be able to make ABC as the air gets thinner. Leaving clothes, some spare batteries and my sleeping bag, I managed to lighten my bag by about 3kg and decided that I would use the blankets provided by the lodges further up the trail.

Although our net gain for the day was less than 500m, due to the many ups and downs my Garmin watch estimated that he climbed about 1150m overall, higher than the height of Snowdon.

Distance: 12.7km, Net ascent: 430m

Day 4 - Chhomrong to MBC

Since I was small I had known the name of Machapuchre, meaning fish tail. However I never full understood why it was referred to as a fish tail as every photo I had seen showed the mountain from Pokhara where it always looked like a triangle or pyramid.

However Day 4 started with a view of Machapuchre that made me finally understand where it got its name. While the net ascent for the day was a lot more than for the previous day the lighter bag and steady ascent rather than big ascents and decents from the previous days meant the day went a lot smoother.

We went through a hazardous avalanche area. We realised the danger of this not just from the avalanche sign but also by our guide, Kumar’s change in demeanor, he was visibly more tense than he had been on the previous days. We also went past an area where we saw lots of small rock piles. Kumar told us that these were for good luck and added to by travellers on their way up to ABC. Only on the way back 2 days later when we passed the same spot did Kumar tell us that these were remembrance shrines to those that had lost their lives to avalanches in this area!

As we neared Machapuchre Base Camp (MBC) we encountered snow for the first time. The weather closed in as we arrived in MBC and we managed to get in and warm just before a storm that brought with it winds and snow.

Distance: 12.4 km, Net ascent: 1100m

 

Sandesh and Bhagteshwar's ABC challenge - Days One & Two

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Day 1 - Nayapul to Ghandruk

We left our hotel in Pokhara early in the morning via taxi to our starting point for the trek at Nayapul.

As we started our trek we got our first view of Machapuchare, the famous Fishtail Mountain, although Annapurna was hidden from view behind hill for the whole day. 

The trail was mainly a slow uphill trek with the occasional steep section and a steep climb when near Ghandruk. We were all holding up well apart from needing to stay well hydrated due to the heat during the middle of the day.

Distance covered: 13.4km

Net ascent: 870m

Day 2 - Ghandruk to Chhomrong

Waking up the next day we got our first view of Annapurna from the Gurung village of Ghandruk. It was nice to see a living a breathing village with many people going about their daily business. It was also nice to see a small glimpse of the local ethos and community spirit. We were walking past an area of the path where a paving stone had been dislodged. A local lady walking past stopped and put the paving stone back in place and gave the area a general clean before continuing on with her day.

We also had our first major descent and then ascent for the trek. We had to go to the hilltop near Ghandruk only to decend 450m down to the river and climb another 500m on the other side to get to Chhomrong. Although I had felt the heaviness of my bag the day before the ups and downs of this day really brought it to the fore that I should probably have packed lighter!

Distance: 12.2km

Net ascent: 230m

Sandesh and Bhagteshwar take on the ABC Challenge - Pre Trek

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On 12 March 2016, HExN committee member Sandesh Acharya and his friend Bhagteshwar reached Annapurna Base Camp (4130m), raising a fantastic amount of money for the charity in the process.

Not only did they take on the challenge of carrying the backpack (about 13-15 kg) themselves without a porter, but they also completed the trek in nine days; a feat normally achieved in twelve days with a porter!

Sandesh documented his progress every day of the trek and we are delighted that he has shared his experiences with us in this series of inspiring blog posts.

And so the story begins...

Following four months of training at various peaks in the UK, it was finally time to embark on the trek to Annapurna Base Camp.

Prior to leaving the UK, I did a final check of my kit and decided to weigh what I would be carrying for nine days of trekking in the Himalayas. The total weight of 16.2 kg (18.2 kg including two litres of water) was a few kilos more than what I was hoping to take (and what I had trained with), but I decided that everything was absolutely necessary. Being a medic, I probably did take more first aid and medications than I needed!

After arriving in Kathmandu with my friend Bhagteshwar Singh at 6pm, we met our guide Kumar, and left for Pokhara the following morning at 5am. Needless to say, our body clocks were a bit frazzled. After a seven hour bus ride, we arrived in Pokhara and opted for an early night… but only after a final pre trek meal of momo.

Child Protection: Recognition and Response Training for Clinicians

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A course provided by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Advanced Life Support Group & the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Child Abuse and Neglect has been identified as a major issue globally affecting large numbers of children both in upper and lower income countries.

Under Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Governments must do all they can to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and mistreatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.

From 2nd - 5th May 2016, a total of 34 doctors and nurses who work with children and families attended a series of one day workshops at Kanti Children’s Hospital in Kathmandu provided by a visiting faculty from the UK.

The interactive training included small group teaching was extremely well attended with a variety of local doctors and nurses taking part.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG) & the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children aim to provide follow-up workshops later this year led by local trainers with support from ALSG UK.

Many thanks to the UK Faculty og Dr Kate Denning, Sheila Moore, Dr Jean Price, Dr Deepak Upadhyay, Dr Neela Shabde, and Dr Chris Hobbs, and for the local support provided by Professor Dr Binod Man Shrestha, Head of Department and Professor Dr Chandeshwar Mahaseth, Medical Director at Kanti Children’s Hospital.

Doctors thank Aintree colleagues for support in £100,000 fundraising campaign as Nepal marks a year on from the earthquake

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Leading doctors have presented Aintree University Hospital with a thank you plaque to mark support for our fundraising appeal to provide earthquake disaster and recovery support in Nepal.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Himalayan country on 25 April 2015, killing 9,000 people and injuring more than 23,000.

Dr Shambhu Acharya, HExN committee member, said:

“Many clinicians at Aintree University Hospital supported us with donations, fundraising and offers of help. Initially we supplied immediate disaster relief, such as survival kits and shelters. More funds were used to rebuild schools and supply hospitals, and assist local Nepalese charities. A year on from the earthquake, we are now helping develop the Nepalese medical services over a longer term, including supporting more rehabilitation services, which are very limited.”

Surgeons from Aintree University Hospital took part in fundraising challenges which saw them go barefoot, and doctors, nurses and allied health professionals made donations at a special presentation event.

Steve Warburton, Chief Executive of Aintree University Hospital, who also took part in the fundraising challenge, said:

“Staff at Aintree really rallied round, and we are honoured to receive this recognition from Health Exchange Nepal. It really brings things home to you, when you hear of how donations of even a few pounds made such a difference to people in Nepal.”

A year on from the earthquakes, an estimated three million people (600,000 households) in Nepal are still without permanent shelter, so your donations to the earthquake appeal are more important than ever before. To donate, please visit http://www.hexn.org/earthquake-appeal/. 

Symposium on Updates in Respiratory Medicine and Workshop on Pulmonary Rehabilitation

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Kathmandu University Medical School (KUMS), Dhulikhel Hospital, Health Exchange Nepal (HExN) and Society of Internal Medicine of Nepal (SIMON) jointly organised a symposium on updates in respiratory medicine and a workshop on pulmonary rehabilitation on the 8th and 9th April, at Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal. This programme was endorsed by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

Five of the speakers travelled from the UK to Dhulikhel. Professor Derek Bell, the President of the Royal College of Physicians was one of the speakers from the UK. Five other speakers attended from various hospitals/ health institutes in Nepal.

The symposium on updates in Respiratory Medicine was held on the first day with over 100 participants from across Nepal. Participants included senior and eminent Nepalease physicians. There was active participation by delegates with lively discussions and Q/A sessions.

The workshop on Pulmonary Rehabilitation on the second day was also fully subscribed with almost 50 participants. There were active discussions on practical aspects of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Overall feedback was excellent. Delegates were keen on more, hands on experience in the future.

I am very pleased to lead the organisation of this programme which was approved for 6 CPD points. The organisers are very keen to organise the update sessions/workshop on an annual basis and I hope that the collaboration with the KUMS, SIMON, RCPE and HExN will continue in the years to come.

There were discussions on future cooperation between the SIMON executives and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh over dinner hosted by the HExN. The Royal College agreed to look at ways of supporting postgraduate education in Nepal and the possibilities of hosting MRCP examinations in Nepal. The College would also look at supporting conferences of Society of Internal Medicine in Nepal in the future.

HExN wishes to thanks Sudhir Lohani, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust in the UK, for providing this overview.