The picture on the left may be a bit blurry but its message is crystal clear. Meet one of the 40 babies that the skilled medical techs of the Nepal Ambulance Service have delivered so far. There are 40 mothers grateful for the support and care of Nepal Ambulance Service EMTs/ There are 40 healthy babies who may grow to be future leaders, doctors, teachers, and parents themselves.
In years past, there was no pre-hospital emergency care system in Nepal. Victims of trauma or medical emergencies were transported to hospital either by taxi or private vehicle, with no medical care en route. As ambulances began to come on the scene in Kathmandu they were essentially taxis with sirens with no skilled medical care provided to seriously ill or injured patients who often might die en route. Nor was there a simple 911-type of emergency phone number.
According to a study by Patan Hospital, of patients arriving at emergency rooms in Kathmandu, only 10% arrive by ambulance. The rest came in taxis, private vehicles, motorcycle, or even carried in by family or friends. Imagine if you or a loved one had suffered a heart attack or stroke, were in a horrific car crash, or were experiencing a difficult birth and there was no ambulance, no skilled help…no hope. The Nepal Ambulance Service is changing that story in Nepal and in the process building much needed capacity for future emergency situations. In partnership with Stanford University and others, including Soarway, they are training a cadre of skilled emergency medical technicians to provide life-saving care and interventions in modern, well-equipped ambulances. They now are the government-approved managers of the “102” phone call-in to dispatch ambulances in Kathmandu and Patan and the Soarway Foundation is working with them to further expand the service across the nation with Butwal being the newest addition.
NAS is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives and building a critically needed capacity in Nepal — a capacity that is directly linked to the Soarway Foundation’s Mission of disaster risk reduction and preparedness. Working together we can save lives today and create the capacity to save lives in the next crisis. We can do it. We know it. But we need your help. Soarway is already 25% towards our goal of $12000 that we will need to fund the expansion of NAS to Butwal but we need your help.
If you have loved ones in Nepal, give them the gift of growing NAS to serve them and the nation. And, even as we debate the future of health care in America I ask our friends of all backgrounds to remember that today in Nepal most citizens are facing a degree of vulnerability far beyond anything we experience or imagine. We know help is a phone call away. Please, won’t you donate $25 today to give that same peace of mind to someone in Nepal?
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