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Did you think we had not done anything since the golftournament?? You’re wrong!!!

Although there was not much news on the website, we have been working hard behind the scenes. We would like to inform you of the most important events since July 2007.

Problem Based Education

First of all, it became possible – thanks to financial support of our foundation – for an extremely weighty delegation of the Foundation of MUNDO to visit Dhulikhel Hospital (DHOS) in the second half of 2007. Also, a beginning was made to refine the Problem Based Learning Project that was set up by Dhulikhel Hospital itself some years ago.
   The visiting delegation of Maastricht University was deeply impressed by the progress made in the field of Problem Based Education. Our support and ‘meddling’ catalysed the granting of support by Nuffit, which means that Maastricht will continue its help. Shortly a detailed report will be made by the people of the MUNDO Foundation.

Exciting Times

‘Feasibility investigation’ in hands of
Dutch Government

Paul de Leeuw, Klaus van Dijkum and the management of our foundation under the direction of AMPC at Hedel have worked hard. AMPC is a company for professional hospital equipment. Mid November – six months later than planned – the report was handed to the Department of Economic Affairs. The studies for this report was made possible by the financial support of this Department.
   Therefore: exciting times, because the support of the Dutch Government would mean that in the near future Dhulikhel Teaching Hospital could pay its own way as Non Governmental Organization (NGO). This, in its turn, would have a positive effect on preventative and curative activities in the outposts, both financially and as regards content. Medical care could then be provided in remote areas. In addition this would mean cooperation, support and a higher quality of the public health care of the Nepalese Government.

Wilde Ganzen on their flight from Tilburg

It turns out that Wilde Ganzen, although fond of flying, do not mind driving either, seeing as how they are riding in a Toyota ambulance. The money needed – more than €20,000 - was collected by Dries Ausems. Another €14,000 were added by our foundation, but mainly by Wilde Ganzen.
   wilde gansen
For the sum of €34,000 a new ambulance will be bought to replace the old one that has served its purpose for 10 (!) years on the almost impassable Nepalese roads. Needless to say it was the worse for wear.
   Dries spent his working life as a physiotherapist in Tilburg; he was also a painter of some distinction and made fine drawings. In those days the foundation was laid for what was to be his passion: sculpting. Dries has developed into a mature artist who makes beautiful sculptures.  During an exhibition in Tilburg, in cooperation with Gallery NIKH, Dries sold many of his works of art. This formed the financial basis for the purchase of the ambulance.
   It goes without saying that Dries could not have completed this project without the indomitable support of his wife Juul. Dries is too much of an artist to be businesslike………...

Working visit to Dhulikhel Hospital


From 1 to 14 November 2007 DHOS was visited because, among other things, the girls’ student hostel was officially opened. Also, it was time to learn the ’State of the Art’ at Dhulikhel.                                                                                                                        
-The girls’ hostel, which accommodates at least 150 paramedical students, was financed by our foundation in cooperation with Wilde Ganzen/ICCO. During the Nepalimed golftournament at Havelte, €45,000 were collected. The above institutions tripled (!) this sum. The result is to be seen in the photo album. The Hindu initiation ceremony was impressive and was attended by a lot of people.



  1. Development specialisms

Almost all specialisms are now represented in the hospital. Two specialisms need extra support and attention:

  1. Gynaecology/Obstetrics

Dhulikhel Hospital (DHOS) has 5 gynaecologists and one trainee. DHOS encourages doctors to work in the outposts, so that the care for mother and child is of a high quality in many places.
This causes an enormous increase in the number of clinical deliveries. The number of deaths of mothers and children have been reduced to about 50 %. A wonderful result that we can be proud of. This success was also caused by the fact that paediatrics flourishes as never before.  

  

Safe Motherhood remains spearhead

After the renovation of the obstetrics ward, the hospital provides even better service in this field. Our committee member Ammy Hoekstra and gynaecologist Albert Mantingh discussed all sorts of practical and logistic matters with the DHOS gynaecologists. Albert works at UMC Groningen, is a member of our Recommending Committee, and is greatly experienced in the field of Tropical medicine.
   Ammy and Albert also spoke about starting off a Birth Centre in order to provide the best possible care for mother and child.
Unique is the fact that, for a small fee, women can get a series of periodical checkups during their pregnancies. The earlier in their pregnancy the women come, the less they have to pay!!

  1. Urology

In cooperation with the department of urology of UMCG, doctor Hem Joshi, a Nepalese surgeon, is being trained to be a urologist. He will stay in Groningen for a few months and Dutch urologists of  the “doctors’ pool” are going to train him “on the spot” in Dhulikhel Hospital in the year to come. The emphasis of the training will be on endoscopic operations of the prostate, bladder and kidneys. It is the intention that in cooperation with Groningen a urological trainingcurriculum will be started off to make it possible for urologists to be trained in Nepal itself.

Care for mother and child. Microfinancing

There are now 8 outposts scattered over areas in the so-called Kavre District, and the “oilstain” healthcare keeps spreading. The women’s programmes have been adjusted, in the sense that the tasks of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) are linked to Microfinancing programmes (MFP).
The job of a TBA entails special care for mother and child before, during, and after deliveries “in the field”. In the near future preventive child care for children from the age of 0 to about 10 will be linked to this women’s programme. A service which can be compared to our health centres.

Three microfinancing projects

In the outposts of Dapcha and Baluwa two pilot projects have started off. Two groups of 10 women are being professionally coached. Respected members of the communities supervised by doctor Bira, community doctor at Dhulikhel Hospital, act a coordinators.
Within the groups 2 or 3 women are responsible for the whole group. The women get a loan and together they decide what economic activity it will be spent on and in what instalments the loan will be paid off.
   In Bahunipati an MFP women’s project has been completed. The project lasted 3 years and the economic activity was ‘pigsbreeding’, a very lucrative activity. The women said that they were very happy and that they had more money for clothing and schoolbooks for their children. In the meantime the loan has been paid off and the women have become self-supporting.



It is striking to see how self-confident these women are and how wisely they deal with their problems.   Every month every woman of the MFP groups gives 40 Rupies (50 Eurocents) for the so-called Emergency Fund to be used for a visit to the outpost or the hospital.

Another development in the field of prevention is that from now on especially trained paramedics are going to try and find the cause of chronic inflammation of the middle ear. This disease occurs frequently and causes permanent damage to the sense of hearing which in its turn causes speech defects.



   All in all quite an impressive progress in the health care which is coming closer to the people on a larger scale. The phenomenon of steady extension also causes more and more Nepalese people to realise that they can go to an outpost or the hospital instead of relying on ‘traditional cures’.



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Nepalimed verleent niet alleen steun door het ter plaatse brengen van medische instrumenten, maar ook door middel van het adviseren en opleiden van lokaal Nepalees personeel door Nederlandse artsen.