FREE HEALTH CAMP

PROVIDING MEDICAL SUPPORT

Introduction: 
In collaboration with Elevate Nepal, HERO (Humanitarian Efforts Reaching Out) and the local municipality’s office of Tsum-Nubri, a four-day health camp was organized in Phillim, a remote but central community in Northern Gorkha from 13th to 16th February 2023. The camp was organized by a team of doctors, nurses, volunteers and other healthcare professionals with the objective of providing free medical services to the community. The camp was successful in reaching out to a large number of patients, with a total of 1600 patients visiting the camp.

Camp Logistics: 
The camp was set up in a community health post located in the heart of the remote community. The organizers had set up several tents and makeshift medical facilities to provide the necessary medical services. The medical team included general practitioners, specialists, acupuncturist, lab technicians, nurses, and volunteerswho worked tirelessly to provide medical services to the patients. The organizers had arranged for medicines, medical equipment, and other necessary supplies to ensure the smooth functioning of the camp and were transported through helicopters in a sling fashioned. 

Patient Flow: 
The four-day health camp was well received by the community, and patients started arriving at the camp from early in the morning. On the first day, the camp saw around 300 patients, but the number kept increasing each day, with around 500 patients visiting the camp on the last day. The medical team was able to provide medical services to all the patients who visited the camp, and there were no reports of any major medical emergencies during the four-day camp. We learned that few patients travelled two days to make the best use of the services which they couldn’t have received otherwise. 

Medical Services: 
The medical team provided a wide range of medical services, including general health check-ups, consultation& treatment with specialists for ear, nose, throat, gynecology, diagnostic lab tests, and acupuncture with pharmacy for medicines distribution. The medical team also provided counseling services on topics such as nutrition, hygiene, and family planning. The camp also saw a significant number of patients suffering from chronic diseases such as gastritis and hypertension, and the medical team provided them with the necessary medicines and advised them on how to manage their conditions. The team also organized and gave a fluoride treatment & hygiene awareness instruction to all the children from the local community school.  

Donations:

After health camp, the organisers distributed medical equipments including the coulter counter, microscope, delivery bed and vaccine freezer to a local health post. Similarly,  they also distributed daily life accessories such as blankets, mattresses, toothbrushes and others to 166 hostel students and seven teachers of the local community school; Shree Buddha Secondary.  Similarly, they also distributed 200 reusable sanitary pads to local women.

Conclusion:
The four-day health camp was a huge success, and the medical team was able to provide medical services to a large number of patients who would otherwise not have had access to medical services. The camp was able to provide medical care to patients suffering from a wide range of medical conditions, and the medical team provided them with the necessary treatment and care. The organizers of the camp are planning to organize more such camps in the future to provide medical services to more such underprivileged communities.

Clink on the PDF file to view the detailed report of the medical camp;