Providing Free Health Services to 10,000 Villagers

Background

Gorkha is a rugged, hilly district of central Nepal. Within Gorkha, Arupokhari village is very near to Barpak, the epicenter of the April 2015 megaquake. Almost four years later, Arupokhari is still recovering from the massive disaster. Most people lost their homes, relatives, and almost every possession they had. Many young people are intent on migrating to other parts of the country in order to find work or safer areas to live, leaving elderly relatives to fend for themselves in their remote home village. Loneliness and feelings loss can become overwhelming to these elders, who are forced to live by themselves.

Elderly Client Receives Emotional Support and Counsel

Purna, a 78-year-old woman, visited the RMF Health Clinic complaining that she could not sleep, was not interested in anything, and had not felt happy for some time. Asking about her family background, we learned that she is a widow living alone in Arupokhari. Her children had moved to other towns, seeking safety after the earthquake, but Purna could not leave the house where she had spent her entire life; she could not just leave as if the place meant nothing to her.

When Purna started living alone, initially her children would visit frequently and bring necessary amenities, but as time passed, the number of her children’s visits reduced, and she started feeling lonely. This is the reason she could not sleep or eat properly. She thought of going to a traditional healer at first, but felt that rather than taking a humble animal’s life (a rooster or a baby goat) as a means of healing by the traditional healer, it would be better to know if some kind of tablets could help.

So Purna came to the RMF Health Clinic, and RMF Nurse Laxmi assessed her. Nurse Laxmi appreciated that Purna came to seek medical assistance for the problem she had, instead of going to a traditional healer. Purna asked for some medication, but Laxmi explained that such medications could not be given without a doctor’s prescription. She listened to Purna’s story and counseled her, asking Purna to talk to her children and if that did not help, to visit a hospital for appropriate treatment. Purna told Nurse Laxmi that she would go and live with her son for a short period of time to see if her condition would improve. She also thanked Nurse Laxmi for the advice.

Clinic Progress

The RMF Health Clinic in Arupokhari, Gorkha has gained popularity among the local people, and its reputation is growing day by day. The quality of healthcare services provided by the RMF Health Clinic is unmatched by any other health facility in the area, due to emergency service provision and availability of a large variety of medicines at a highly subsidized rate (much lower than market prices). The clinic’s community programs are also much appreciated by the people and local authorities. Construction of the new, earthquake-resistant building for the RMF Health Clinic has been completed, and furniture is being acquired with support from the municipality. In 2018 alone, the RMF Health Clinic provided excellent health services to 8,330 patients.