Himalayan HealthCare: A Year in Review
By Magdalena Palavecino, Communications and Social Media Intern
It’s safe to say that 2020 was one of the most globally devastating years of the century. From widening communication barriers and exacerbated health disparities, the coronavirus pandemic meant unprecedented difficulties for many grassroots organizations across the globe. As the calendar turns over, many continue to carry the burdens from the last year, but others see this new normal as a means to test their ability to follow through amidst unexpected challenges.
By upholding their commitment to public health and education in the highest level of integrity and accountability, Himalayan HealthCare, partnered with GlobeMed at the University of Colorado Boulder, ended the year with exceptional efforts to upkeep community support and started 2021 with vigorous community trainings and exhaustive plans for their new objectives.
Founded in 1992, Himalayan HealthCare (HHC) aims to improve the quality of life of those living in the remote areas of Nepal’s northern Dhading by developing sustainable development programs in primary healthcare, community education, and income generation. HHC’s goal has always been to enable the Nepali people to help themselves without reliance on outside sources, with the end goal of self-sufficiency. GlobeMed at CU Boulder draws inspiration for their work from what they say is HHC’s buzz phrase: it’s a hand up, not a hand out.
HHC’s projects range from hospital and high school construction to midwife and agricultural training, as they believe a cohesive approach that spans a variety of community practices and customs is necessary for self-sustaining, holistic healthcare.
Midwife and Nursing Students
Every year, HHC selects three to five women from villages in the Ruby Valley to participate in a midwife training program. HHC covers the tuition and housing costs for the midwifery trainees, who then return to their communities and work as midwives, improving health outcomes in their village.
In spite of the pandemic, HHC has been able to fund the training of Niri M T, Hima Gu, and Sanchita T, who all graduated from the program with an A. This year, all three will sit for the newly required board certification exams and Safe Birth Attendant (SBA) special training while they work at their respective health posts.
Tuni and Apsara, two other students, resumed their training after being provided with a laptop to complete the classes that have moved online due to COVID, and are set to finish in September. HHC midwives often see possibilities to pursue further education, like former HHC staff member and midwife from Lapa Village, Rasa Maya, who is also pursuing online education.
One Home One Toilet
Open defecation has been a major health concern across the Ruby Valley, and making the Valley open defecation free (ODF) has been HHC’s goal since their founding. HHC provides vouchers for materials such as a tin roof and door, cement, and a squat toilet so families can construct their own toilet. Testimonies from new owners say the toilets provide them with more privacy and dignity and have decreased the number of times they get sick.
To follow through with the construction of the more than 500 toilets needed to declare the zone ODF, GlobeMed at CU Boulder set up a relationship with a local store where they were able to sell Jeevankala (handmade artisan craft) items from HHC for income generation, also available on Etsy here. The earnings went directly towards supporting HHC’s construction of 15 toilets.
COVID Action
In 1994, HHC opened a hospital in the town of Ilam. The hospital is supported through service fees and donations from the local community, which now manages the facility.. The hospital is located in a region of about 250,000 people who were previously only served by one physician at a government hospital. Ilam Hospital provides access to 24-hour care, basic surgery, radiology, dental and optometry services, and many other basic healthcare needs.
During the peak in COVID-19 cases, the Ilam hospital served as a quarantine center until the number of cases were under control. The facility also provided rural health workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) and thermal guns, andHHC has been providing all of its village health workers with PPE including face shields, shoe covers, masks, gloves, and suits. Today, HHC has leased the Ilam Apollo Hospital and Trauma Centre for five years in order to fund both low-income patients and the hospital’s general maintenance.
“In 2021, Himalayan HealthCare will continue its core projects of public health and education which include village student stipend, high school education, empowering Dalit and minority girls and young women with skill training, higher education or training in midwifery, nursing, providing health training to women health providers, training of health providers through our medical trek, toilet and stove construction, etc. We will also continue to put our efforts towards food security for the communities we serve through vegetable gardening for women farmers and provide therapeutic and other nutritious foods for children who are malnourished.” — HHC 2020 Annual Report
Where there has been ample reason to focus on the difficulties this past year has meant, HHC has instead seen possibility for growth and the ability to learn, connect, and continue to contribute to positive change.
