Nepal Emergency Medical Relief

Below is an update from our partner organization, Tilganga, employee Khim Gurung. The team from Tilganga is visiting hard hit, remote areas, to deliver food, medical supplies and urgently needed emergency supplies.

Dear all 

We (Dr Suman, Krishna Gopal & myself) returned yesterday from badly affected zone after distributing little dry food to victims.  The situation in that area is horrible. The people are in panic. More than 90% (18,000) houses were collapsed, thousands of animals were killed, about thousand people were died, thousands of people were injured, several health clinics, school building are badly damaged. Electricity is also blocked. 
When we started to distribute the foods, we realised the dry food is not enough. They need solid food such as rice which they can cook and eat. There foods are under collapsed houses. A little amount of food have taken out, some borrowed from neighbours and shared among themselves. People are living together under poorly managed tents. However, they are living together helping each other and saving from hunger. But question is, how long they will go??? However, they are trying to take out remaining foods from their collapsed housed, that is very very tough and they are being able to take out very little amount of food, they cloths and other accessories. Very very tough time for all of the victims. 
On first day of dry food distribution, we realised that dry food  is not enough. So, we informed to Tilganga management team about the need of rice and requested to arrange some rice other accessories. Fortunately, We succeeded to distribute some amount of rice to a community of very poor area. That will help them to survive and search for more foods from other sources. Furthermore, we distributed two solar panel for mobile charge and water purifier. To prevent outbreak of diarrhoea, cholera etc, we delivered health education about hygiene, safe drinking water, temporary toilet construction and use and health check up in case of any health problem occurrence.
Good thing is the government and other organisations are also started to distribute the foods in very remote area after our action. 
We will report and share our learnings to Dr Ruit and team today. Let's see how we plan to move forward to be part of our suffered communities. 
For your information, Tilganga family has decided to contribute 2 days of salary and some of them more days of their salary. 
Thanks to all of you for your great support. Some pictures from our field visit are attached.
Thanks and regards
Khim

The following is an update from our co-founder, Dr. Sanduk Ruit:

News about increasing casualty to more than 5,500 and thousands more homeless is making us sad. However, the Tilganga team is strongly committed to be where there is the most need. Dr. Reeta Gurung is in Dhading district with a Tilganga team distributing emergency relief materials, food and medical supplies for 1,500 families. Dr. Rohit Saiju and Elli have left for Nuwakot with relief materials for another 1,500 families. We are sending additional supplies — 50 sacks of rice, lentil & salt and solar lamps — to the Tilganga team in Melamchi led by Dr. Suman. Tomorrow, more supplies will go to very remote areas in helicopter.

Our existing ophthalmic network and credibility in these affected areas has been a great asset. All the staff members of Tilganga dedicated part of their salary for this cause.  We at Tilganga and the Nepalese people are moved by your generosity, faith and love for the work we are doing, and hopefully we will be an effective helping hand for thousands of people going through the worst disasters of their life.

—Sanduk Ruit