A team of ophthalmologists headed by Dooley Intermed International President Scott Hamilton and Dr. Ronald C Gentile from New York are travelling to Nepal to provide majorly-required ophthalmic care for more than 1000 villagers from Gunghadi, Western Nepal’s Mugu district, one of the most impoverished and remote Nepali regions.

Nepal-based Himalaya Eye Hospital and the Pema Ts’al Sakya Monastic Institute experts will be supporting the mission.

Talking about the potential of cataract surgery, Dr. Gentile said that it is one of the economic and satisfying surgeries in the field of medicine as patients receive relief overnight with successful results of full eyesight restoration.

About the expedition, he said, “All medical care, eyeglasses, medicines and surgeries will be provided completely free of cost to everyone in need.”

The team of experts will include, Yale School of Medicine Ophthalmology & Visual Science Associate Professor Chris Teng MD and Advanced Eye Medical Group Oculoplastic Surgeon Omar Ozgur, among others.

Dooley Intermed Operation ‘Restore Sight’ team has treated more than 1,500 patients from Lower Mustang and Upper Gorkha regions and has been instrumental in the construction of a new Eye Hospital in Nepal’s Kavre District.

The sight restoration program is scheduled to begin in October.

While the Nepal Government is making serious efforts in improving and increasing its medical health care reach, it is the efforts of international health missions like the Gift of Sight Expedition that fill the missing gaps in health care provision in Nepal’s remote parts.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 39 million people are blind worldwide, out of which, approximately 90% of them live in low-income areas and 80% suffer from sight problems that can be cured.

But it’s noteworthy to mark Nepal’s progress in terms of health care so far. The country’s success can be measured through its initiatives to fight and eradicate eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy and trachoma.

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Thanks to the program! over two million Nepali women have access to medical services in this developing nation, where dying in childbirth majorly threatens its population.

According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), child birth is the main cause of Nepal women’s death during the reproduction age which is higher than any other South Asian country except Afghanistan.

Factors that Hinder Proper Health Care in Nepal!
The primary factor that triggers this alarming scenario is ‘Nepal’s geography’, which makes it difficult to reach a health facility in time. Additionally, the scarcity of clinics in the region makes most people rely on the comfort of their home for child birth.

We found that one of the main reasons rural women did not go to a hospital during childbirth was because they did not have hard cash to pay for transportation, says Suresh Tiwari, one of the architects of Aama Surakshya.

Transport is not the only facility that this program offers. Aama Surakshya takes care of medical costs incurred around child birth for both mothers and their babies including a cash bonus for attending monthly pregnancy checkups.

The free service and transport incentive have been very effective in bringing women to health centers and hospitals where they can be saved in the case of complications.

–Tara Nath Pokhrel, Nepal Family Health Division (FHD) Head.

Other than dealing with geographical barriers, the association is at constant battle with cultural practices and patriarchal ideologies.

Age-old practices and choosing home deliveries over hospital child births deflect people from making costly expenditures, especially poor families. Still another disadvantage is unequipped hospital staff.

Some women still don’t have the decision-making power to say they want to go to a hospital, and health posts like ours are not equipped enough, said Niliza Shakya, Doctor at Ramechhap Health Centre

People Who Have Benefited
Meera Nepali who received Aama Surakshya aid recalls how gruesome her first delivery experience was and thanks the program’s support during her second delivery.

Sita Khatri gave birth to a healthy baby boy at home. However, over a period of time she had to suffer the consequences; a retained placenta and a fatal complication of childbirth in the future.

Eventually, Khatri was taken to a nearby clinic for treatment and was given Rs 1000 for transportation.

According to official figures, in 2017 a majority of Nepali women chose to undergo hospital births over home deliveries creating a first-time record thanks to the program’s initiative.

Aama Surakshya was started in 2005 with British monetary support but has been taken over by Nepal Government.

Also Read: Global Health Issues: 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey Highlights

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