Nepal Medics was founded by a group of like-minded individuals with the same belief that neither geographical location nor socio-economic status should determine the level of emergency medical care a person receives, or if they receive emergency medical care at all.
Nepal is a relatively small country, in terms of physical size. The geography makes travel quite challenging and slow: mountains and rugged hills comprise about three quarters of the country. The range of altitude is staggering: Nepal’s lowest point is 70 m above sea level, and the highest is 8848 m at the top of Mount Everest. Nepal is home to approximately 29.7 million, compared to the US population of 325.7 million, making Nepal the 48th most populated country in the world. Nepal’s per capita average health care spending is approximately $68 USD per year — in the US, that figure is $10,348. Around 27 infants, and 5.39 mothers, die for each 1,000 live births. This is less surprising considering that there are only .6 physicians per every 1,000 members of the population — the US has 2.57 compared to the same number of people.
With a combination of meager financial resources for health care, limited providers, high risk living conditions and the difficulty of transportation to qualified care (sometimes over 20 days by donkey), the need for many more well-trained trained emergency responders is self-evident.
What we do
Nepal Medics is implementing a comprehensive vision through the creation of an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. We focus on giving local, Nepali responders the training, proficiency and tools to handle the emergencies that arise. Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international health organizations have stated that our approach has proven the best way to prepare for Mass Casualty Incidents. In addition to the 2015 Nepal earthquake that left over 8,000 dead and over 21,000 injured, smaller-scale mass casualty incidents occur in every country, every day. Without trained responders, the long-term impact on survivors is more significant, and the fatalities more numerous.
In addition to providing life-saving training, Nepal Medics is very proud of its role in promoting gender equality in the region. Nepal Medics trainings have included over 56.5% female first responders. Participation in these trainings, and holding the knowledge to be able to save the lives around them, has given these women greater respect in their communities, and has allowed them to increase their independence and agency. Training women also has a direct positive impact on women’s health care, since many women are more comfortable seeking reproductive health care from other members of their same gender.
The Nepal Medics vision for the future of Emergency Medical Services in Nepal includes the following:
-a fully-functional emergency phone line, with the capability to dispatch emergency responders to anywhere in the country
-the availability of trained medical responders, who can accurately assess and treat the patient before and during transport to a hospital
-communities strengthened and empowered by their knowledge and ability to help themselves and their neighbors in times of crisis.
We thank you for your support.
You can read more at our website: nepalmedics.org
