Despite being shorter than the camps we have historically run in both Ale Gaun and Sirkot, they were an amazing success with us reaching 1,098 people across the 3 days and performing 1,724 consultations.
This year we offered just 3 services in Ale Gaun – dental, eye and women’s health – with the addition of a chest clinic in Sirkot; the areas we feel are most needed and least available to the rural population.
As is the norm with these camps we saw more ladies than gents, in this case 50% more, with us registering 734 women and 364 men.
Our health and support teams worked tirelessly each day, each performing a large number of check-ups.
Eye tests, as per usual were the most popular, with the eye team performing 804 tests. They also issued 351 pairs of reading glasses and prescribed 65 pairs of prescription glasses, which will be delivered to each patient in about 15 days time. They also identified 36 operable cataracts, which will be done free of charge for each patient to also include travel, accommodation at the hospital and food.
It was pretty much neck and neck between the dental and gynaecological teams for the number of patients they each saw.
Our dentists saw 374 patients; extracted 102 teeth; performed 79 restorations or fillings and scaled 59 sets of teeth. They also rebuilt/replaced 7 teeth for 5 patients.
In the women’s health/gynaecological clinic 371 ladies availed of their services. In total they saw 11 uterine prolapse cases ranging from 2nd to 4th degree. Six ladies were diagnosed as VIA +ve through the application of acetic acid to the cervix. There were 3 cases of cervical polyps and one more serious case of cervical endothelial neoplasma, which they suspected could be cancerous.
Last but not least, the Sirkot chest clinic saw 175 patients.
We cannot thank enough everyone who worked together to make these camps so successful. First and foremost Dr Del Endres and One World One Heart Foundation for raising the funds. John Dear for donating a huge amount of toothbrushes for the dental team to give away. Tila Ale, Kumar Rana and Jhalak Khanal for all their hard work in pulling together everything in advance of the camps and for working so tirelessly during them. Our health care providers: The eye team, Subas Nepal, Tej Gurung, Nita Gurung and Prasamsa Pariyar from the Pokhara Eye Hospital. The gynaecological team from the District Health Office Syangja, Dr Shanka Raut and midwives, Renuka Sharma, Binita Poudel, Pramila Karki and Shanta Aryial. The dental team, Dr Yukta Gurung and dental hygienists Jhalak Khanal and Mahesh Khatri. The chest clinic was run by government staff, and the blood pressure/weight stations were run by local staff nurses.
Last but not least a big thank you to both Gabde and Sirkot Schools for letting us use their premises to run the camps and also the youth clubs from both villages for helping keep everything running smoothly.
