EMS in Nepal

[Punisher]

I figure this is something appropriate for this board, given the nature of the forum and what I have been invited to go do. I have recently invited to travel to Nepal next summer to assist in the education of paramedics and other health care professionals. The area I will be traveling to (if everything goes off as planned) is called Dharan, and it is in the Himalayan foothills in the eastern part of Nepal. There is currently effectively no EMS for this area so it is basically uncharted territory for our profession.

The reason I am bringing this up is that I have been asked by the doctor who invited me, to seek out medical equipment and supplies to help establish EMS operations in his area. Nepal is one of the poorest countries on the planet, has been experiencing periodic episodes of a Maoist insurgency over the past several years, and I feel this is one of those times where our true colors can truly come shining through without interference from political agenda or personal feelings. If any of you, or your services would like to donate equipment, supplies or funds to aid in this trip, please let me know. Likewise, if you know anyone who works with medical equipment manufacturers or suppliers, or any charitable organization that would like to assist with this, please let me know. I have also been told that if anyone wishes to accompany me to aid in education and clinical precepting, they are more than welcome to come along.

Among the things they are seeking include:

Everything! Specifically, on the expensive side we could use:

EKG/SpO2/NIBP monitors (as many as we can get, we only have 1 old one)

portable ultrasound

monitor/defibrillator

ventilators

fluid warmers

syringe pumps

As for the cheap stuff

ambu bags and masks

airways

LMAs

Yankauers

skin staplers

cervical collars

BP cuffs (all sizes)

stethoscopes

penlights

cautery pens

pressure infuser cuffs

Also rescue equipment donations (mostly towards the extrication side of things) are needed. They are also looking for used lightbars for their ambulances as the ones they have access to (from India) are not very reliable, bright or durable.

From the sounds of what I have been told, this is going to be medicine at it's most austere. They are not looking for state of the art stuff (although that would be wonderful), just the bare necessities such as used equipment.

If you can please help, in any way, please do so. Those of you who have known me for a while, you all know I tend to be a bit on the hard ass side of things so for me to make this kind of request is rather out of character and that should tell you about how serious I believe this to be. Please pass the word about this around to everyone you know- the hospitals you transport patients to, your churches and synagogues, your schools, etc. Your assistance is very greatly appreciated by everyone involved. Thanks in advance.

[Timmy]

Sorry I can’t help you much with this mate. Your cause is very worthwhile!! I suggest getting in contact with the Red Cross, UN or some form of aid agency that isn’t already helping to see if you could get some donations? Maybe ask some local community services eg. Lions Club to see if they would give you a donation.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[Dustdevil]

Sounds like an awesome opportunity, as well as an awesome humanitarian mission. You'll be a different man once you've participated in something like this. It changes you to share with those who have so little. And, of course, it is a change for the better. Not that I am insinuating that you need to change or anything!

Man, as much supply and equipment that I see stagnating and being wasted here, I sure wish I could send you a whole CONEX full of gear. We'd never miss it. But alas, they watch our outgoing parcels like a hawk.

Good luck on the lightbar. I just bought one myself off of eBay for our Medical Officer's response Excursion. Uncle Sam supplies only a gumball right now. They say that two lightbars have been "lost" in shipping over the last year. I hope the one I bought fares better!

Good for you, Steve! Best of luck.

[jw-c152]

I'm involved in an organization that does similar Capacity Building missions in 3rd world countries.

Check em out... www.dmgf.org

It's run by a Toronto medic. All team members are either Paramedics, Doctors, Engineers (Water Purification), Police Officers, Nurses or Firefighters.

The team runs pre-planned capacity building missions (training EMTs and Doctors, building schools and hospital buildings, organizing the donation of medical supplies, etc) but also has a disaster response mandate as well. The most recent deployment was to Lebennon following the recent violence there which left numerous citizens homeless.

Good luck with your adventure in Nepal. Like Dust said, it'll change your whole outlook on life.

Cheers.