Posted by Shefali Oza
Nyaya Health thanks the Indian Embassy in Nepal for its generous donation of an ambulance. With the addition of this ambulance, we will now be able to transport patients free of charge to regional hospitals between 5 and 15 hours away for life-threatening conditions we are unable to treat at Bayalpata Hospital. Additionally, this donation allows us to access patients in our catchment area who are too ill or injured to reach our hospital without such transport.
The ambulance, which will help transport emergency patients through difficult mountainous terrain.
In hilly districts like Achham, difficult geographic terrain – alongside the lack of adequate roads and transportation – is a significant barrier for patients. As a result, many patients are forced to travel for hours on foot in the hopes of receiving medical care. Additionally, the nearest referral sites range from between 5 to 15 hours away by road, with the closest surgical center approximately 10 hours from Bayalpata Hospital. Such long distances, combined with the large financial costs and travel times involved in reaching these regional referral hospitals, is prohibitive – and sometimes deadly – for patients.
Pregnant women are a key group we hope will benefit from our new ambulance. Women in our communities die of birth complications that can be easily avoided through in-hospital deliveries. The ambulance will help facilitate getting these women to our hospital. Additionally, for severe complications, we will now be able to transport the women to the nearest hospital (5 hours away) that performs emergency obstetric procedures, including caesarian sections.
Rajesh Rai, Nyaya's Kathmandu representative, receives the ambulance from the Indian Ambassador to Nepal.
The ambulance was presented to Nyaya by the Indian Embassy on the 15th of August, marking the occasion of India’s Independence Day. While Nyaya’s expansion plans include a surgical facility in the coming years, the ambulance is and will remain an important tool for saving lives. We are extremely grateful to the Indian Embassy for their generous donation, and are confident that through their support we will be better able to help patients of the Far West.