Posted by Duncan Maru
One of the most exciting happenings over the last two months has been the expansion of the Nyaya Health team, particularly our Achham-based crew. It is worth summarizing who some of the new players are. I will focus on the Nepal-based folks since they really are the heart-and-soul of the growing team.
Dr. Bishnu Kattel, MBBS, has been with Nyaya now for the past four months in the planning phases, although within the next few weeks he will be finally starting what was actually part of his original job description: seeing patients and training healthworkers as the medical director of the clinic. We had met him through Dr Bijay Acharya, with whom he had attended medical school. Dr. Kattel received his medical training from the B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal. He subsequently served as a medical officer at Kathmandu Medical College and as a visiting surgical instructor in China. There really are not many
Ana Serralheiro, MSc, is serving as our Director of Logistics working as a volunteer through August, 2008 at the clinic. She currently oversees waste management, laboratory services, and supply chain maintenance. She brings with her an expertise in laboratory science, a rigorous attention to minute details, and a quick and flexible mind that takes on new challenges. I, from my perspective as a physician, have clashed with her on various issues pertaining on how to run the waste management and laboratory programs; almost without exception however she wins the debate and sets me straight. She was originally inspired to work with Nyaya after seeing Roshani’s documentary about HIV in Achham and Doti. She completed her Master’s from Cranfield University, UK, and received her Licenciatura in Biotechnology Engineering from the Algarve University, Portugal.
Tenzing Tekan will start working at the clinic in March, 2008 as our program manager. The son of a Kathmandu-based Tibetan rug entrepreneur, he was inspired to work with us by our focus of innovating in the rural health sector in Achham. When I first met Tenzing over dinner in Kathmandu and grilled him for nearly four hours, he impressed me with his flexibility-of-mind and willingness to take on new challenges. His unique background will serve us well, having worked with the World Bank and with Goldman Sachs as a financial analyst in the healthcare sector. He helped to direct funds and enhance services for numerous medical programs in India. There are not many successful financial analysts who, like Tenzing, decide to work in rural Far Western Nepal. He is fluent in both Tibetan and Nepali, and will be developing outreach programs for the hard-to-access migrant workers from the north who speak a Tibetan dialect.
