In the days following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015, we were relieved to learn that all of our partners in Nepal were safe. But in the capital city, the Kathmandu Model Hospital had been damaged. Staff and patients were moved to the parking lot, for fear the entire facility might collapse.
One of their two operating rooms – where fistula repairs and other surgeries were provided – had become too dangerous to use. Hospital staff managed to provide care as best as they could: t-shirts were used to set splints, and doctors like our partner fistula surgeon, Dr. Ganesh Dangal, worked outside of their normal area of expertise, setting and mending broken bones. (Read more about Dr. Ganesh in this FastCoExist article.)
Kathmandu Model Hospital needed a functioning operating room. We asked our supporters for help, and within just 24 hours, had raised $150,000 – enough for our partners, phect-NEPAL to repair and restore functionality to the operating room. We will also be forever grateful to Frank Richardson for his incredible gift that provided a 2:1 match to our donors’ funds.
Content from Nepal: One Year Later
Photos taken by Navesh Chitrakar, March 2016.
Much has changed in the year since the earthquake. Beautiful photos captured by photographer Navesh Chitrakar show what life looks like today in the fistula ward of Kathmandu Model Hospital. In the video clip below, fistula surgeon Dr. Aruna Karki describes the scene on that terrible day. And she provides a look at how the hospital has recovered, and the hope being restored to fistula patients once again – thanks to the generous support of Fistula Foundation donors like you.
Listen to Dr. Aruna Karki describe what life was like at Kathmandu Model Hospital the day after the earthquake, and hear her discuss how things have changed, one year later:
Take Action
Fistula Foundation has committed additional funds to help our partners at phect-NEPAL conduct patient oureach, build treatment capacity of surgeon and fistula care providers, and provide free fistula repair surgeries to 75 women.
The following are messages of support for our partners at phect-NEPAL/Kathmandu Model Hospital submitted by donors:
- Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged or dismayed for the Lord will be with you. He will never leave or forsake you. – Jessica Tan, Penang Malaysia
- How wonderful it is to see all these women smiling and to know that you are all the reason! – Sheila Auth, Sacramento, CA USA
- God was clearly with all of you – so happy that everyone is safe and you are up and running again to provide your compassion and loving care to your patients. – Sherrie Green, Abbotsford, British Columbia, CANADA
- Nepaleanse fortitude is applauded by a world watching recovery from such a disaster.
- Very happy that your hospital is in opperation again! Thank you for the life altering surgeries that you provide. – Cherokee Doerflinger, U.S.
Published: April 1, 2016