ANMF was established in 1997 and over the years it has helped to build capacity,both human and infrastructure, to advance healthcare in Nepal.It has catapulted its contribution even more during disasters. In 2015, after the calamitous earthquake,ANMF accelerated its work and helped construct over 15 health posts and spearheaded installation of an oxygen plant in Nepal.This time the disaster has come in the form of the pandemic and Nepal has not been left alone.It has destroyed lots of lives,has stretched our healthcare system very thin and put the health and wellness of patients and healthcare workers at risk.ANMF has been working tirelessly since the first wave of COVID 19 hit in early 2020. Lots of work from providing the PPEs to oxygen delivery devices to telemedicine and supporting isolation centers and knowledge and experience sharing symposiums/webinars have been conducted.
The second wave which started in April 2021 is surging rampantly and threatening the country much more than the first time.Case positivity rates have skyrocketed as high as 60% in major hot spots specifically near the border of Nepal and IndiaThe essential supply of oxygen,drugs,PPEs and hospital beds are in scarcity.Qualified healthcare workers are being overworked and underpaid.
ANMF has reached out to various organizations and like minded individuals to garner support of COVID 19 relief efforts in Nepal and an Alliance of Nepali Medical Diaspora has been formedThis alliance is joined by Nepalese Doctors Association UK(NDAUK), Australasian Nepalese Medical and Dental Association (ANMDA), Health Foundation Nepal (HFN),Society of American Nepalese Nurses (SANN),Sahayeta Nepal,Texas Nepalese Medical Association (TNMA),Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), ASK Foundation, Engage Nepal,International Nepali Biomedical Society (INBS), Nexus Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI) and Nepalese Association of Florida (NAF). We hope to bring many more to help this campaign in the days to come.
We know that the needs are vast and multifaceted and that is why we have stepped up the COVID-19 Relief Efforts in Nepal. We have named this effort, the SAVE Lives CampaignS= Supply and delivery of oxygen
A=Awareness and knowledge sharing activities
V= Vaccine Advocacy and Telemedicine
E=Empowering/protecting Healthcare Workers.
The SAVE Lives Campaign is focused on raising funds to help with oxygen supply and delivery systems,procure and deliver High flow Nasal oxygen therapy machines and other equipment like oxygen concentrators etc, Protecting health and safety of healthcare workers by helping with Masks, PPEs etc and Support Telehealth to foster knowledge/technology and experience
sharing events.
ANMF and the Alliance believes that prevention is better than cure and it is especially true for COVID in which case we do not even have a cure.We stand strong and advocate for broadpublic health measures of wearing masks, maintaining social distance and avoiding crowds;frequent hand washing and sanitizing to mitigate the spread of infection.At the sametime,we need to test and trace/track as many people as possible so that they can be isolated and quarantined to flatten the curve so that we can come ahead out of this pandemic.While we contain and crush the infection spread, we need to complement by vaccinating as many people as possible so that we can avoid future waves and also avoid newer,more transmissible and potentially more lethal strains. We are committed to help both the public health measures and medical support.
At present following work is happening:
1.Oxygen delivery system (pipelines, manifolds etc) at the 200 bed isolation center in Radhe Swami Satsang located in Samakhusi Kathmandu has completed.This is being run by COVID Crisis Management Center (CCMC).The isolation center should be
functioning in the upcoming week.
2. A communication center is being established at Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) in the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP).The medical staffing of this setup is being supported by ANMF.This setup aims to help smooth dissemination of information from hospital beds and other pertinent information to all concerned parties involved from public to ambulance services and other stakeholders.
3. Actively working to procure and deliver oxygen concentrators and high flow oxygen devices with goals to distribute at least 30% of these devices outside of Kathmandu valley.
4.In collaboration with MOHP and Nepal Medical Association (NMA),we are working to start nationwide subspeciality telephone consultation service to help people with COVID on home isolation regarding different aspects of their health
5.Actively involved in lobbying the US Government to release essential medical supplies,oxygen and vaccine to Nepal. This is happening at different levels.Please sign the petition at http://chng.it/kn848ygmT8.
6.Oxygen plant at Koshi Hospital to be installed soon by the end of May,2021.The plant hasreached Calcutta from France and will be shipped to Biratnagar soon.
7.Webinars and symposiums focussed on knowledge sharing of COVID 19 management are
ongoing.
Please visit our website https://www.anmf.org and/or to the facebook link below to donate.Every contribution you make will help to SAVE Lives. In just over 11 days, close to1500 individual donors have donated over 100K USD already. Please join us and let us all deliver together.
https://www.facebook.com/donate/209232040724313/
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!! #SAVELivesANMF
Author is
Dr Bhupesh Khadka,MD;
President, ANMF
Comment