After a warm breakfast and hot tea provided by our wonderful host families, we made our way to the Yarsha village health post, our designated location for the day’s clinic, to find patients already eagerly waiting for us.
Setup was swift, however, with rain on way on the way, we relocated the outdoor registration and eye testing stations to indoors. This didn’t deter the flow of patients, and the day quickly became a bustling affair filled with people of all ages, from toddlers as young as two, to elders as old as 87. The average age of those we served was 71, a general reflection of rural Nepali villages nowadays, with only the young and old remaining while the majority of working aged people have either moved to the city or are working abroad.
In total, we provided care to 243 villagers, with 112 males and 131 females seen throughout the day. Despite the wet weather, the atmosphere remained joyful and communal. Many gathered inside the buildings not only for shelter but to witness what became something of a social event. Children chuckled as they guided their grandparents through the eye exam process, treating the vision chart like a game. These health camps not only provide necessary health care, but also an opportunity for rest, community connection and a chance to catch up with old friends.
Our eye doctors saw 143 patients, identifying 38 individuals in need of cataract surgery – over 25% of patients they saw and again a reflection of the age of our patients. Plans are in motion to transport them, along with those from the first days camp to Kalikasthan, where they will receive free surgeries on the 20th April, thanks to a partnership with local district services. Alongside this, 103 pairs of reading glasses were given to those in need of them.
Meanwhile, our dental team treated 100 patients, conducting 60 tooth extractions and 4 restorations. One notable case was a 50-year-old woman named Assok, who presented with a serious tooth infection she had noticed five days earlier. Due to the severity, extraction was not possible on-site. She was provided with a course of antibiotics, and if the infection doest clear up, will need to be referred for further care at the nearest dental hospital. Once again there were free toothbrushes for everyone, along with the all important education session.
The day was filled with powerful moments of community resilience and dedication, like a family who began walking at 6 am and trekked over five hours just to reach the clinic in time. Many of those within the local communities to both camps just don’t have the funds, or the necessary understanding about prevention rather than cure to attend health posts or hospitals when they get sick, and rely on such camps for health care access.
By 3 pm the queues had dwindled and the final patients had completed their appointments, and so we began to pack up for the long journey back to Kathmandu. Due to the wet weather, poor roads and remote location of the village, we had to walk for 90 minutes back down the hill along a steep mountain path, winding through lush foothill switchbacks, extremely grateful for a team of locals who carried our heavy gear for us. Back on the bus it was another long, slow, windy journey arriving back in Kathmandu around 10 pm.
Despite the long days, unpredictable weather and unexpected hurdles that always seem to pop up, it is always a pleasurable and rewarding experience to bring free medical services and education to underserved, underprivileged rural communities. We are deeply grateful to the villagers, volunteers, and partners who made this weekend of care and connection possible, allowing us to fulfil our mission statement of bringing grassroots support at a community level.
We are deeply grateful to the villagers, volunteers, and partners who made this weekend of care and connection possible. As always, a Himalayan thank you to everyone who helped make these camps so successful – our incredible donors from New Zealand and the USA, and especially the Parker family. Your continued trust and support empower us to bring essential healthcare to rural Nepali communities where it’s needed most. We truly couldn’t do this without you.
A special thank you to our dedicated medical professionals: our eye doctors from Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu — Drs. Ramesh, Gautam, and Rameshwor; and our dental team — Drs. Ashok, Sony, Krishna, and Ramesh.
We’re also grateful to our venues, Gautam Buddha Secondary School in Parching Naukunda and the Yarsha Health Post, as well as the community health volunteers from both villages.
To our warm and welcoming host families who opened their homes to us, thank you for your kindness and hospitality.
Thank you to Active Himalayan Tours for providing transportation at a greatly reduced rate, and of course to our incredible HQF team – Pragati, Shristi, Dawa, Samip, Abhiyan and Kelty, all guided and led by our Programme Manager, Hari.
Together, we made this weekend not just possible, but meaningful.