Posted by Astha Ramaiya
Dr. Arjun Karki, the vice chancellor of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), recently gave a presentation to a couple of Nyaya members on the PAHS model of medical education and health system development. Working in Achham, Nyaya has faced a shortage of human resources because of its remoteness, lack of skilled staff wanting to work there and external factors such as mud slides and transportation difficulties. Dr. Karki’s presentation touched on all of these issues, linking the PAHS model to the rural-urban staffing gap in Nepal, and discussing ways in which we can work to develop rural health systems in the face of these complex challenges.
PAHS has established collaborations with many international partners, emphasizing the training of doctors who aspire to serve the poor. With a great health disparity between the urban and poor in Nepal particularly amongst different castes, the PAHS model aims to recruit aspiring doctors’ from around Nepal to provide a curriculum excelling both in clinical and social medicine. To help ameliorate human resource shortages in the remote areas, PAHS ensures that all students who obtain a scholarship are under a contract which assigns them to work in rural settings after completing their degrees. If a partial scholarship or full scholarship is obtained, a 2 and 4 year commitment is required respectively. In line with the National Health Strategy’s goals to extend primary care to the rural population to such that they benefit from modern facilities and trained health care providers, PAHS also acts as a central hub for one of the largest telemedicine facilities in Nepal.
PAHS has established collaborations with many international partners, emphasizing the training of doctors who aspire to serve the poor. With a great health disparity between the urban and poor in Nepal particularly amongst different castes, the PAHS model aims to recruit aspiring doctors’ from around Nepal to provide a curriculum excelling both in clinical and social medicine. To help ameliorate human resource shortages in the remote areas, PAHS ensures that all students who obtain a scholarship are under a contract which assigns them to work in rural settings after completing their degrees. If a partial scholarship or full scholarship is obtained, a 2 and 4 year commitment is required respectively. In line with the National Health Strategy’s goals to extend primary care to the rural population to such that they benefit from modern facilities and trained health care providers, PAHS also acts as a central hub for one of the largest telemedicine facilities in Nepal.
With the first class entering in 2010, PAHS students’ rotations and internships will occur in rural villages within the next four months. Given its remote location, Nyaya’s Bayalpata Hospital in Achham continues to face staff shortages and recruitment difficulties. PAHS has established one such approach which will help in curbing this problem.
Nyaya is pleased to continue to support the inspiring work and efforts of institutions and groups that help in achieving health equity. The PAHS model is very much in line with Nyaya’s vision and we look forward to exchanging ideas as we both work towards providing healthcare to all Nepalis’.
Nyaya would like to thank Dr. Arjun Karki for the following presentation: