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Health
Amp Pipal Hospital—Gorkha Project
Amp Pipal Hospital is a 52-bed facility established by the United Mission to Nepal in 1969, replacing a dispensary that had operated in the same place for 12 years. Located in the southwestern part of the Gorkha District, in the mid-hills of Nepal, the hospital is a half-hour walk below Amp Pipal and about an eight-hour walk from Dumre on the main road between Kathmandu and Pokhara. The hospital provides general outpatient and inpatient services with laboratory, X-ray and ultrasound diagnostic facilities. It also provides the only regular surgical service in the Gorkha District and the surrounding districts. The hospital is especially concerned for patients who have little or no alternative for medical or surgical care.
Okhaldhunga Hospital
Okhaldhunga Hospital began as a small dispensary in 1962 20 minutes from Mt. Everest. This is the only hospital serving people living within several days’ walking distance. It is reached by a five-day trek out of Kathmandu, a two-day trek from the "terai" (southern flat area of Nepal) or by a 3–4 hour walk from a small landing field in Rumjatar where small planes can land during the dry season. This isolation has been a constant factor in the hospital’s history. In 1990 an earthquake partially destroyed the hospital and living quarters and the hospital had to be rebuilt in the early 1990s. The hospital, with 32 beds, provides basic medical, surgical and obstetric services and also operates a community health program supporting the government health posts and communities in the area.
Patan Hospital, Kathmandu
Patan Hospital was begun in 1954 as the Shanta Bhawan Hospital and functioned in rented facilities for the first 25 years of its existence. In 1982 the hospital moved into a new, permanent building and assumed the name of Patan Hospital. It was one of the initial projects of the United Mission to Nepal and is located in the southern part of the Kathmandu Valley in the town of Patan. It is a 204-bed general hospital with a large outpatient department, which serves over 250,000 patients annually. The hospital is a joint venture between the United Mission to Nepal and the government. Patan Hospital is also the headquarters for CHDP (Community Development and Health Project), which serves the districts of Lalitpur and Makwanpur. Work at the Patan Hospital is assisted by an ECO fund, and the Medical Benevolence Foundation provides financial support as well.
Tansen Hospital
Established by Dr. Carl Friedericks, a Presbyterian doctor, in 1954 as a dispensary, Tansen Hospital was one of the first projects of the United Mission to Nepal. The hospital has 131 beds plus an outpatient department and provides primary, secondary and tertiary care to the residents of the Palpa District, the districts beyond, and to Indian patients who come from across the border. It is also a teaching hospital, training community medical auxiliaries and auxiliary midwives. Work at the Tansen Hospital is assisted by an ECO fund and the Medical Benevolence Foundation provides needed equipment.
United Mission to Nepal Health Ministry
The UMN was put together by agreement between eight church boards and mission societies that formed an international and interdenominational Christian organization to do development work in Nepal at the request of the government. It now consists of more than 35 member bodies and almost 200 workers from all over the world. UMN programs function in four major areas: health services, education, economic development, and rural development. UMN workers, under the supervision and support of the Health Services Department, are helping to manage and staff four hospitals: Patan (204 beds), Tansen (131 beds), Amp Pipal in Gorkha District (52 beds), and Okhaldhunga (30 beds), and provide residency and field training. They also teach in nursing schools (both mission and government), paramedical training programs, and at the Institute of Medicine Medical School in Kathmandu. The activities of the UMN are financed by member bodies, church-related agencies, non-governmental and governmental development organizations, Nepal’s government and Nepali citizens. Work of the UMN is assisted by an ECO fund, and the Medical Benevolence Foundation provides funds to support community health services with vehicles. |
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Self-Development
In 2005 the PC(USA) Self-Development of People program made a grant to this project.
Women Association for Development Effort (WADE), Dhankuta Koshi ($13,600)
The Magar, one of the poorest castes in Nepal, has little economic, social or political power within their community. Most caste members lack access to health care, education, and a source of water. The women face discrimination from men within their own community and from members of higher castes. WADE, a cooperative of 50 Magar women farmers, organized to build a community center. The women want to learn carpentry skills so they can build the center themselves. The center will provide a location for members to receive training and sell their products. |
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