HELPING HANDS HEALTH EDUCATION

PERMANENT CLINICS

Out of four permanent clinics, two are located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, one in Khandbari, a village in eastern Nepal and one in Phalewas, a village in western Nepal.

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Chabahil Chowk Permanent Clinic

The Helping Hands permanent clinic and Helping Hands Nepal's headquarter are located in Chabahil area in the Kathmandu Valley and is about 3 miles north east of the Royal Palace. It is about a 45 minutes walk from Thamel, the main tourist part of town. It is primary care walk-in clinic, which sees a wide variety of out patients.

The clinic is open from 10 am to 5 pm around the year except for winters when it closes at 4 pm. It is open Sunday through Friday and arrangements can be easily made for a 5 day work week for our volunteers. Approximately 150–200 patients are seen each day, which includes those for immunizations, wound dressings, family planning, other minor surgeries as well as other put patient visits with the doctors. Common complaints involve GI and respiratory ailments, muscle and joint pain, skin infections.

The building is four-story complex with the clinic on the main floor. There is one consultation rooms for outpatients, one primary care room, and a private OB/GYN room. The reception area and waiting room and the pharmacy are also on the main floor. The distribution of medicines is very high from our pharmacy. The first floor consists of lab facilities, x-ray, the dark room, a small operation theater, and physical therapy. The second floor houses the ultra-sound room, the optometry facilities, the dental room and the medical storage room. The upper floor has the DOTS delivery facility, the kitchen, the offices and board room. The building is equipped with electricity. It is 220 volts/50 cycles, therefore, 120 volts appliances from the US need adapters, which are locally available.

The Kathmandu clinic has an inventory of equipment and supplies that has been donated over the past several years. Volunteers may bring necessary medical supplies and equipment that they require for their own use. If volunteers wish to donate any supplies and equipments to Helping Hands they are most welcome to do so.

Services

The Kathmandu clinic has expanded its services and offers family planning services, dental services, ultra-sound and x-ray services and surgeries in addition to general health services and child care programs. Being that Nepal faces an over population crisis, family planning in Nepal is quite progressive. Most of the patients in the clinic are women and children.

Common afflictions include:

• Upper and lower respiratory infections

• Skin diseases

• Fever

• Typhoid

• Abdomen pain

• Gastroenteritis

• Worms infections

• Gynecological problems

• Hypertension and diabetes

• ANC and PNC

• Chest infections and tuberculosis

Clinical Services:

• General health check-up

• General minor surgery

• ANC and PNC services

• Family Planning services

• Pediatric services

• Laboratory services including ultra-sound and X-Rays

• Dental services

Generally, patients who come to Kathmandu clinic generate low income, if they generate income at all. People travel long distances to receive health care and medications for a small fee. Word has spread about the clinic and it is slowly becoming popular with the people. Since the clinic does not generate sufficient income to support itself, the administration fee covers the costs of running the clinic and paying the rent.

Western volunteers – both medical professionals and students, and non-medical volunteers who are interested and willing to spend time in Kathmandu are most welcome for this challenging effort of serving the under-served people of Nepal.

Indrayani Clinic

Indrayani permanent clinic was established on the 20th of February, 2000 and was inaugurated on the occasion of the 11th Helping Hands day. This clinic is 8 kilometers (5 miles) far from Kathmandu city. It is the center for 8 other village development committees and this is one of the greatest advantages of establishing the clinic in this area. This clinic is jointly run by Helping Hands, Paropakar Sanstha and the Village Development Committee. The main building for the clinic was initially provided by the Parpakar Sanstha but was renovated by Helping Hands. Now Helping Hands has full time staff and provides medical services to the people of this village as well as other villages in its periphery. General OPD, surgery and other referral services are provided in this clinic. It is also equipped with a pharmacy.

Khandbari Clinic

Khandbari permanent clinic was established on  the 6th of September, 2000.  It is situated in the main bazaar of Khandbari. Though there was a 15 bed hospital in Khandbari, there were no doctors in the hospital so the general village people had to resort to facilities in either Kathmandu or Biratnagar for medical services. The establishment of the permanent clinic has provided  lot of facilities to the local people. The clinic provides general outpatient services, eye check up, surgery, vaccinations, antenatal check up, pathology services, ECG, X-Ray, Ultrasound and Pharmacy services. Since its establishment it has served more than 6,000 patients.

Click here for detailed information on Khandbari Clinic.

Phalewas Clinic

Phalewas clinic was established on March 2005. Given the state of medical facilities available in this village and given the high demand for good medical relief services, the health clinic of Helping Hands is definitely an innovative and appropriate idea. With the exception of one or two eye camps, the village had not experienced services of any health camps. It is therefore, hoped that this new health clinic with lab facilities including X-ray, ultrasound, and ECG equipment could generate high enthusiasm among people. The weaker sections of the society are surely benefiting most from this clinic. From Phalewas and its neighboring villages some 50,000 people will have the opportunity to use the services of the clinic.

Click here for detailed information on Phalewas.

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For more information contact Helping Hands USA : helpinghands@sannr.com

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