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Hands to Nepal 
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In addition to the Nepal
Poison Information Center (NPIC), United
Hands to Nepal is investigating the implementation of other health related
programs in Nepal. Factors involved in assessing the creation
and implementation of new culturally sensitive programs are whether the
program responds to a need, whether it can be cost effective and whether
the program can be sustained at a local level within a fixed period of
time. Below is a summary of programs that are in various stages of
development.
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The Ohio State University
Medical Training Program
In order to effectively meet
the many medical challenges facing Nepal today, Nepali health professionals
need to receive specialized training in practice areas wholly absent or
seriously under-represented in Nepal's medical infrastructure. Through
a multi-million dollar fellowship program, recently endowed by Mr. Frederick
Stecker, UHN is serving as a conduit to bring medical professionals from
Nepal to study new technologies and advanced techniques in medicine at
Columbus Children's Hospital and at The Ohio State University.
To date, the Stecker Fellowship
has provided support to various health professionals from Nepal.
Their fields have ranged from pediatrics to pharmacy to nursing and at
OSU they have received advanced training in areas such as neonatology,
poison center management and donor bank management. Please contact
your nearest UHN office for more information regarding the Stecker Fellowship.
The Nepal
Research & Medical Consulting Program
Overseas medical researchers often
overlook the opportunities available for conducting their work in Nepal.
Identifying appropriate research opportunities will be the focus of the
MRC. Through research, better treatment models can be developed
for the entire country. Currently, research programs in the areas
of heavy metal toxicology, surgical techniques evaluation, neonatal care,
and breast milk nutrition effectiveness are being reviewed.
In conjunction with the Center for
Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance at the Tufts University School
of Medicine, the first MRC project study was conducted during the summer
of 1997. Drug resistance poses a great threat to the global community
and is a particular problem in developing countries. Bacterial diseases
such as tuberculosis can reach epidemic proportions if treatment is rendered
ineffective due to the adaptations of drug resistant organisms. Resistance
patterns in three village communities within Nepal were assessed.
The Nepal
Breast Milk Bank
The Nepal Breast Milk Bank is
designed to utilize the milk that is overproduced by some mothers in order
to directly save the lives of newborns suffering from nutritional deficiencies
due to lack of breast milk. The concept of storing breast milk is
not a new one. Similar programs are currently operating in Thailand,
India and China with incredible success.
UHN plans to implement this
program, as soon as further preliminary tests have been conducted and a
way to fund the costs has been identified for the screening of breast milk.
UHN is seeking funding for sooner evaluation of milk screening techniques,
staff, facilities and public awareness.
This program is being coordinated
by a nurse who returned to Nepal a Stecker Fellowship in Columbus.
The Nepal
Center for Telemedicine
By leveraging off of its access to
satellite and telecommunications, NCT will enable leading medical institutions
in more developed countries to focus culturally appropriate and the most
sophisticated diagnostic systems available on critical cases in Nepal.
Conversely, Nepali physicians will be able to provide doctors from participating
countries with the most up to date information on tropical and infectious
diseases and illnesses largely eradicated in more developed countries.
Medical teleconferencing will be available
at the Kathmandu center where Nepali doctors will be trained in how best
to utilize this technology. The center itself will be equipped with
communications workstations. A trained Nepali computer technician will
coordinate and schedule the teleconference and use scanners, digital camera
and opticam technology to image transfer x-ray and other laboratory findings
to doctors abroad. At present time, doctors at the Ohio State University
and at Children's Hospital Columbus are available for medical teleconferencing
in such fields as Neonatal Care, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Pediatrics,
Medicine, OB/GYN, Toxicology and Emergency Medicine. Linkages with
departments at other university medical centers are being established.
To receive more information
on any of these programs or to find out how you can help UHN, please contact
the UHN office nearest you.
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United Hands to Nepal
GPO 8975
EPC 1313
Kathmandu
Nepal
977 1 523 874 tel/fax
uhn@mos.com.np
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United Hands to Nepal, Inc.
Children's Hospital
The Ohio State University
700 Children's Drive, ED-546
Columbus, Ohio 43205 USA
(888) UHNepal tel (toll-free
U.S. only)
(614) 470-3487 tel
(614) 722-6322 fax
dmart@be.bricker.com
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