Working towards Health Equity and Access in Rural Nepal
Posted in Patient Stories on Jul 27th, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas Almost one year ago, I wrote a piece for this blog titled “The Transformative Power of Paint”. Its purpose was to elucidate how small gestures can make great change. It was a pleasure to write and depicted beliefs that I still hold true. Thus, when the experience of touch emerged as a theme for [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management, Social Justice and Health on Jul 23rd, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas The gentleman sitting in my office believed he was helping us, or so I like to think. He was from the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), visiting our hospital to discuss the NRCS’s criteria for Blood Banking Center approval –an approval necessary to begin any type of blood transfusion or storage [...]
Posted in Social Justice and Health on Jul 13th, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas This morning, our nursing staff greeted me with a phrase that has become too common at Bayalpata Hospital: “Gregory. We have no pani.” Translation: “Water is out again. We don’t know what to do.” As mentioned in previous stories and updates, water is a delicate and ever-unreliable commodity here at Bayalpata [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management on May 26th, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas Over the past few months, renovations have been underway to transform Bayalpata’s former Labor and Delivery Room into a fully-functional Isolation Room with an external entrance. This room provides a safe and comfortable environment for patients afflicted with communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, who need to receive treatment separately from the [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management on May 4th, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas Having literally spent years working up to this moment, it is with great gratitude and relief that we have finalized the first bulk order of pharmaceuticals for Bayalpata Hospital. Since the establishment of the hospital, medications have been ordered as they became necessary, due in part to difficult accessibility, limited funding, [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management on Mar 20th, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas Friday was indeed a triumph. Of course the program started forty five minutes late. But as I told the Local District Officer while we waited alone for the first invitee to join us, “It’s ok, Sir. In Achham, everyone is right on time.” In other words, forty five minutes late was [...]
Posted in Patient Stories on Mar 1st, 2012
Posted by Gregory Karelas The patient was of a young woman who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with rectal bleeding for the third time this month. I watched our doctors go through preliminary check-ups and interventions with her at the end of the work day, and then left for my office, confident that all [...]
Posted in staff profiles on Feb 3rd, 2012
Posted by Dan Schwarz Nyaya’s team is composed of an impressive array of over 100 staff members in Achham, and countless volunteers around the world. Our Country Director, Gregory Karelas, acts as the fulcrum for all of our operations in Achham, coordinating the work of both our Achhami staff and international volunteers. Despite this, his [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management, Social Justice and Health on Oct 23rd, 2011
Posted by Gregory Karelas [Continued from Returning Home, posted September 26, 2011.] The bandh (strike) lifted at 4:30 p.m. As 5 p.m. rolled around, so did my car, heralding the smell of burning rubber in its wake. Yet it wasn’t until 5:03 p.m. that I realized it was a stack of flaming tires and not [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management, Social Justice and Health on Oct 9th, 2011
Posted by Gregory Karelas [The following is a letter from Country Director Gregory Karelas, which he sent over our open-access Nyaya member listserve about some recent events in Achham.] Dear Nyaya staff, volunteers and supporters, I wish to share with you a story of perseverance in the face of discord and uncertainty. On September 9th, [...]
Posted in Mortality Reviews, News, Social Justice and Health on Oct 1st, 2011
Posted by Ryan Schwarz Over the last two years Nyaya has spearheaded a Morbidity and Mortality Conference (M&M), which aims to provide a venue for Bayalpata Hospital’s clinical staff to critically reflect on and evaluate serious illnesses and deaths that occur. The effort is aimed at improving the quality of the care we offer, particularly [...]
Posted in Logistics and Management, Social Justice and Health on Sep 26th, 2011
Posted by Gregory Karelas [This blog entry is a reflection by Country Director Gregory Karelas, and will be posted in two parts. The second installment will be available in a few weeks.] “Namaste. Namaste Gregory.” Finally, I arrive in Achham. After four days in transit, one plane, four cars, three rickshaws and an overnight [...]
Posted in Social Justice and Health on Sep 5th, 2011
Posted by Gregory Karelas ———————- Gregory Karelas is the country director of Nyaya Health. He has graduated with a MSc in Medical Anthropology. Tweet This Post
Posted in Uncategorized on Aug 24th, 2011
Posted by Gregory Karelas ———————- Gregory Karelas is the country director of Nyaya Health. He has graduated with a MSc in Medical Anthropology. Tweet This Post
Posted in Logistics and Management, Social Justice and Health on Aug 9th, 2011
Posted by Duncan Maru We would love some discussion and feedback about a surgical implementation science protocol we just published on BMJ Open. This research will evaluate our implementation of surgical services at our rural district hospital in remote western Nepal. As you all are acutely aware, surgical care is a severely neglected area in [...]