Comments for Nyaya Health http://blog.nyayahealth.org Working towards Health Equity and Access in Rural Nepal Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:17:11 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Water and community justice by alka rambhia http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/02/14/water-and-community-justice/comment-page-1/#comment-126 alka rambhia Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:17:11 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1145#comment-126 Hi Chin I do have water experieance to share. Growing up we use to get water 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening in our own home. right from river. We would fill up about 8-10 buckets and some big pots and try to finish major laundry washing in that time. We were always careful about using water. Some times when water pressure is not good specially in summer we will go to ground floor to a shared tap to fill our buckets and carry them to second floor. And some times when everybody is trying to get water about 3-4 families from same place there would be arguments and verbal fights. Now thinking back I laugh about it but that time it was intense. During the mansoon we use to collect rain water and clean it because some times river water would be very hazy and not clean. Hi Chin
I do have water experieance to share. Growing up we use to get water 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening in our own home. right from river. We would fill up about 8-10 buckets and some big pots and try to finish major laundry washing in that time. We were always careful about using water. Some times when water pressure is not good specially in summer we will go to ground floor to a shared tap to fill our buckets and carry them to second floor. And some times when everybody is trying to get water about 3-4 families from same place there would be arguments and verbal fights. Now thinking back I laugh about it but that time it was intense.
During the mansoon we use to collect rain water and clean it because some times river water would be very hazy and not clean.

]]> Comment on Water and community justice by Brian Englum http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/02/14/water-and-community-justice/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Brian Englum Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:06:04 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1145#comment-125 Chin- Stong work! I think the point you make about involving the Hosital in collaboration with government and local structures is right on. Rather than considering the decision a failure due to the unfortunate outcomes, it's really a triumph in process. Every difficulty that arises can be a learning and empowerment opportunity for these structures. The only real problem is deciding how many of these challenges you can take on without being completely sidetracked from more direct healthcare activities. I think that the water issues in Benin were different from those you're experiencing. The health center in my village of Kalale (the largest center for a population of about 100,000, no real inpatient unit, no OR, mostly birthing/outpatient care) had a foot powered water pump. In 2005, the village finally built a water tower with 10 faucets throughout a village of 10,000 people. The faucets only functioned in the dry season, because water was otherwise fairly available through open wells and streams. People were only willing to pay the water fee when other sources were maybe a half mile or more from home. The main struggle in Kalale was convincing people and government the importance of clean drinking water. Water-borne diseases -guinea worm, viral diarrhea, parasites -were prevalent, but no so dramatically that you could convince people to pay for clean pump water. Despite widely available water well treatment programs, convincing local governments to fund and adhere to such programs was difficult. My most dramatic water experience actually occured on a trip to the Sahara in Niger, where we attended a nomadic herding festival of the Tuareg and Woodabe (Fulani) peoples called the cure salee. The festival took place near a single well. To get to water, a camel would pull the cord attached to a bucket at the base of well so deep that we couldn't see it the water from the surface. By the time the bucket arrived at the surface, the camel had walked over 200 m from the well. To make matters worse, there was no system as to who got the water that came to the surface. A small fight would break out among the thirsty line of waiting people, spilling half the contents of the 20 L bucket that took 10 minutes to reach the surface. Despite being free, the water took on a new value, and I began wondering how much longer this area would be able to sustain the herds of these nomads. With climate and environmental changes added to the continuing human population explosion, water issues will become increasingly prevalent throughout the world. Learning to deal with them now in a tranparent way that involves the community will only pay dividends in the future. Chin-

Stong work! I think the point you make about involving the Hosital in collaboration with government and local structures is right on. Rather than considering the decision a failure due to the unfortunate outcomes, it’s really a triumph in process. Every difficulty that arises can be a learning and empowerment opportunity for these structures. The only real problem is deciding how many of these challenges you can take on without being completely sidetracked from more direct healthcare activities.

I think that the water issues in Benin were different from those you’re experiencing. The health center in my village of Kalale (the largest center for a population of about 100,000, no real inpatient unit, no OR, mostly birthing/outpatient care) had a foot powered water pump. In 2005, the village finally built a water tower with 10 faucets throughout a village of 10,000 people. The faucets only functioned in the dry season, because water was otherwise fairly available through open wells and streams. People were only willing to pay the water fee when other sources were maybe a half mile or more from home.

The main struggle in Kalale was convincing people and government the importance of clean drinking water. Water-borne diseases -guinea worm, viral diarrhea, parasites -were prevalent, but no so dramatically that you could convince people to pay for clean pump water. Despite widely available water well treatment programs, convincing local governments to fund and adhere to such programs was difficult.

My most dramatic water experience actually occured on a trip to the Sahara in Niger, where we attended a nomadic herding festival of the Tuareg and Woodabe (Fulani) peoples called the cure salee. The festival took place near a single well. To get to water, a camel would pull the cord attached to a bucket at the base of well so deep that we couldn’t see it the water from the surface. By the time the bucket arrived at the surface, the camel had walked over 200 m from the well. To make matters worse, there was no system as to who got the water that came to the surface. A small fight would break out among the thirsty line of waiting people, spilling half the contents of the 20 L bucket that took 10 minutes to reach the surface. Despite being free, the water took on a new value, and I began wondering how much longer this area would be able to sustain the herds of these nomads.

With climate and environmental changes added to the continuing human population explosion, water issues will become increasingly prevalent throughout the world. Learning to deal with them now in a tranparent way that involves the community will only pay dividends in the future.

]]> Comment on Water and community justice by Lee Goeddel http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/02/14/water-and-community-justice/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Lee Goeddel Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:59:34 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1145#comment-124 Nairobi, Kenya is a sprawling concrete web of highway and roundabout with too few lanes to accommodate the expanding sea of automobiles amidst crowds of courageous pedestrian traffic. The city architecture complements the industrial theme of a new West Africa, symbolizing the struggle of urbanization in the setting of a lagging infrastructure. This last year the rainy season ended but the dry season did not. Extending much longer than usual there was no rain to cultivate the little green spaces in the city or to replenish the city's water supply. Even the wealthy neighborhoods submitted to rolling "water-outs" in addition to the more common electricity "black-outs" to conserve resources. For a city so big, these plans only minimized the impact. The Masai tribe among others were forced to break the law. The indigenous Masai tribe living on the outskirts of the city are banned from grazing their cattle within a certain radius of the city. Their fields barren, they started to graze their emaciated livestock within city limits. In the slums with the immense heat and little potable water, mortality rates higher than before. In \scientific circles we talk about the dangers of global warming. With increased temperatures the world over, water evaporation patterns change. What was once luscious, may dry. What once was arid, may become deluged. Nairobi in the heart of West African development may die of thirst one day if the rainy season fails to come. Nairobi, Kenya is a sprawling concrete web of highway and roundabout with too few lanes to accommodate the expanding sea of automobiles amidst crowds of courageous pedestrian traffic. The city architecture complements the industrial theme of a new West Africa, symbolizing the struggle of urbanization in the setting of a lagging infrastructure. This last year the rainy season ended but the dry season did not. Extending much longer than usual there was no rain to cultivate the little green spaces in the city or to replenish the city’s water supply. Even the wealthy neighborhoods submitted to rolling “water-outs” in addition to the more common electricity “black-outs” to conserve resources. For a city so big, these plans only minimized the impact.
The Masai tribe among others were forced to break the law. The indigenous Masai tribe living on the outskirts of the city are banned from grazing their cattle within a certain radius of the city. Their fields barren, they started to graze their emaciated livestock within city limits. In the slums with the immense heat and little potable water, mortality rates higher than before.
In \scientific circles we talk about the dangers of global warming. With increased temperatures the world over, water evaporation patterns change. What was once luscious, may dry. What once was arid, may become deluged. Nairobi in the heart of West African development may die of thirst one day if the rainy season fails to come.

]]> Comment on A day in the field with a Nyaya Community Health Worker by ajaya http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/01/21/a-day-in-the-field-with-a-nyaya-community-health-worker/comment-page-1/#comment-123 ajaya Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:06:27 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1091#comment-123 How much help need there.Pls mail me again How much help need there.Pls mail me again

]]> Comment on Bayalpata Hospital and the Ridikot community by Lal Bahadur Kunwar http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/02/05/hospital-and-community/comment-page-1/#comment-122 Lal Bahadur Kunwar Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:36:46 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1108#comment-122 Nyaya Health is a bright star in Achham. The people have a lot of respect for Nyaya. The NGO might choose to work with the community in the following ways. 1) The Community Health Worker program is respected, but it currently serves only the nearby area. It would be great if we could expand further out. 2) Nyaya Health has many volunteers that come from outside. Perhaps they can conduct a school health program. School is where all students meet, rich, poor, Dalit, upper caste. If we provide them all knowledge about health they will bring this knowledge home. It could produce a good health environment. 3) Nyaya could also offer public health education workshops to community leaders and traditional healers so that they know how to address bigger health issues in their areas. Lal Bahadur Kunwar, Health Assistant, Nyaya Health Nyaya Health is a bright star in Achham. The people have a lot of respect for Nyaya. The NGO might choose to work with the community in the following ways.
1) The Community Health Worker program is respected, but it currently serves only the nearby area. It would be great if we could expand further out.
2) Nyaya Health has many volunteers that come from outside. Perhaps they can conduct a school health program. School is where all students meet, rich, poor, Dalit, upper caste. If we provide them all knowledge about health they will bring this knowledge home. It could produce a good health environment.
3) Nyaya could also offer public health education workshops to community leaders and traditional healers so that they know how to address bigger health issues in their areas.
Lal Bahadur Kunwar, Health Assistant, Nyaya Health

]]> Comment on Maintaining water to ensure hospital services by Frederic Grafe http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/01/12/maintaining-water-to-ensure-hospital-services/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Frederic Grafe Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:13:35 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1038#comment-121 Very informative text. I've found your blog via Bing and I'm really glad about the information you provide in your posts. Btw your sites layout is really broken on the Kmelon browser. Would be cool if you could fix that. Anyhow keep up the good work! Very informative text. I’ve found your blog via Bing and I’m really glad about the information you provide in your posts. Btw your sites layout is really broken on the Kmelon browser. Would be cool if you could fix that. Anyhow keep up the good work!

]]> Comment on Nyaya receives $25,000 gift to purchase X-ray by Subash http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/01/25/nyaya-receives-25000-gift-to-purchase-xray/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Subash Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:59:35 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1068#comment-118 Nice! I wish nyayahealth more success to help rural peoples. Nice!

I wish nyayahealth more success to help rural peoples.

]]> Comment on In solidarity: Earthquake crisis in Haiti by Hollywood Locksmith http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/01/14/in-solidarity-earthquake-crisis-in-haiti/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Hollywood Locksmith Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:38:06 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1081#comment-117 I'm glad that the media is covering all the diasters of the world to make people aware of the needs of many people of Haiti and the need of support any way. I'm glad that people are stepping up and giving a hand to another human being. It is sad that it took a natural diaster to get people pour their hearts and money to country of Haiti. Where were these people 6 months ago or even a year ago to help the people of Haiti and i hope it will continue after the media goes away from this natural diaster. I’m glad that the media is covering all the diasters of the world to make people aware of the needs of many people of Haiti and the need of support any way. I’m glad that people are stepping up and giving a hand to another human being. It is sad that it took a natural diaster to get people pour their hearts and money to country of Haiti. Where were these people 6 months ago or even a year ago to help the people of Haiti and i hope it will continue after the media goes away from this natural diaster.

]]> Comment on A day in the field with a Nyaya Community Health Worker by rajeev karki http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/01/21/a-day-in-the-field-with-a-nyaya-community-health-worker/comment-page-1/#comment-116 rajeev karki Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:14:24 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1091#comment-116 This is a true news.In remote area there are not educated people and who is health member staying there,they does not given good sugession for people. The health member are not get in health centre. This is a true news.In remote area there are not educated people and who is health member staying there,they does not given good sugession for people. The health member are not get in health centre.

]]> Comment on Maintaining water to ensure hospital services by Anil Bhattarai http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2010/01/12/maintaining-water-to-ensure-hospital-services/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Anil Bhattarai Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:46:23 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=1038#comment-113 Is there some possibility of also harvesting rainwater onsite? The rainfall pattern data are available for each of Nepal's 75 districts for almost three decades. In addition to maintaining the public muhaan and the public taps, this could also be another option for water. I know such a dry region as Rajsthan has amazing system of harvesting rainwater. Obviously those who know the landscape are better positioned to explore this. Is there some possibility of also harvesting rainwater onsite? The rainfall pattern data are available for each of Nepal’s 75 districts for almost three decades. In addition to maintaining the public muhaan and the public taps, this could also be another option for water. I know such a dry region as Rajsthan has amazing system of harvesting rainwater. Obviously those who know the landscape are better positioned to explore this.

]]> Comment on Severe storms in Achham by santosh shrestha http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2009/10/12/895/comment-page-1/#comment-104 santosh shrestha Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:13:46 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=895#comment-104 By reading the situation I imagined how hard it was there to continue the services. From the begining Nyaya had worked hard for the best health service, I appreciate the courage and ability of the staff members too. In future I have a deep desire to help Nyaya. Thank You nyaya, its staffs and the member who are struggling in the US. By reading the situation I imagined how hard it was there to continue the services. From the begining Nyaya had worked hard for the best health service, I appreciate the courage and ability of the staff members too. In future I have a deep desire to help Nyaya.
Thank You nyaya, its staffs and the member who are struggling in the US.

]]> Comment on Nyaya Health opens Bayalpata Hospital in Achham by hari chandra bohara http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2009/06/21/bayalpata_opening/comment-page-1/#comment-100 hari chandra bohara Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:09:59 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=729#comment-100 it is good work.iam very happy. it is good work.iam very happy.

]]> Comment on Treating a patient for diabetes and high blood pressure by josiah http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2009/04/13/bp_and_diabetes/comment-page-1/#comment-99 josiah Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:47:59 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=597#comment-99 Nice article thanks for sharing! Nice article thanks for sharing!

]]> Comment on Severe storms in Achham by Nyaya Health » Blog Archive » Help Nyaya Health raise funds for 2010! http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2009/10/12/895/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Nyaya Health » Blog Archive » Help Nyaya Health raise funds for 2010! Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:06:40 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=895#comment-94 [...] staff treated over 500 patients during a cholera epidemic, saving countless lives. More recently, heavy monsoon rains in the month of October destroyed Nyaya’s internet capabilities and rendered large sections of [...] [...] staff treated over 500 patients during a cholera epidemic, saving countless lives. More recently, heavy monsoon rains in the month of October destroyed Nyaya’s internet capabilities and rendered large sections of [...]

]]> Comment on Update: diarrheal epidemic by Nyaya Health » Blog Archive » Help Nyaya Health raise funds for 2010! http://blog.nyayahealth.org/2009/10/04/880/comment-page-1/#comment-93 Nyaya Health » Blog Archive » Help Nyaya Health raise funds for 2010! Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:05:37 +0000 http://blog.nyayahealth.org/?p=880#comment-93 [...] the people of Achham face. Over the summer, Nyaya staff treated over 500 patients during a cholera epidemic, saving countless lives. More recently, heavy monsoon rains in the month of October destroyed [...] [...] the people of Achham face. Over the summer, Nyaya staff treated over 500 patients during a cholera epidemic, saving countless lives. More recently, heavy monsoon rains in the month of October destroyed [...]

]]>