Supporting Healthcare in Arnakot
Arnokot is an isolated community, situated 177Km from Pokhara, on a plateau 2000m high. It is three hours walk from the nearest town. The healthpost serves approximately 3000 people spread along the Arnakot ridge.
For over five years NEPAL-ease has been supporting the vital work done by the two nurse-midwives and the paramedic/pharmacist at the small health post in Arnakot. We pay for essential medications and equipment and training as well as providing a small monthly living allowance.
We are proud to report that Arnakot now has a dedicated skilled work force who between them can manage the needs of the people from birth through to end of life, responding to emergencies such as cuts and infections, as well as managing vaccination programmes and chronic health conditions.
In 2021, the charity funded specialist birthing training for one of our nurses, Bishnu, which enables her to manage complicated deliveries. in addition to the training, it became clear to the staff that the facilities at the Health Post needed to improve and to ensure that there were safe outcomes for mothers and babies. Therefore, they approached us for help to build a designated birthing suite.
Birthing Centre Under Construction
Starting in 2020, the charity worked closely with the community, local government and a Pokhara based design company to design and help raise the necessary funds to build an extension onto the small health post. We are absolutely delighted to report that all the funds have been raised, the extension completed and the birthing suite, as well as the additional health post facilities are already in full use and babies are now being born there. We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported this project.
The completed Arnakot Birthing Suite
We also help fund regular free health camps that bring more specialist care to this remote area.
During the COVID pandemic the charity continued to supply essential medication and equipment as well as PPE to help keep the staff safe. In addition we provided emergency food aid, soap etc to those most in need in the community.
NEPAL-ease contributes monthly towards essential medicines and equipment, along with a living allowance to the three health care staff, allowing even the poorest in society to receive free health care.
For the last two years, we have contributed a further £500 towards future sustainability by funding the purchase and distribution of pregnant goats to some of the villagers in Arnakot. Each goat is worth around $100 and the owner has two years in which to repay this amount to the Health post management committee.
Goats Ready for Distribution
