Gender Equality Nepal Project #10001

Support 300 Safe Births in the Nepal Himalaya

by PHASE Worldwide

Project Report | Aug 24, 2016
Nisha Tamang Memorial Fund

By Sarah Galvin | Director PHASE Worldwide

Nisha Tamang

Nisha was a PHASE Nepal health supervisor for the Gorkha region who tragically died in a helicopter crash on the 8th August 2016. We are publishing her story here as it is directly related to maternal health in the Gorkha region – the area this project funds.

Preeti, a new mother from the Gorkha region, gave birth to her first baby in early August 2016. She had a home delivery, as the family lived far from the Health Post and there was nobody to go and fetch the nurses. Following the birth both Preeti and the baby developed a fever and the family took them to visit the PHASE nurses at the local health post. The nurses prescribed antibiotics but Preeti got worse over the next couple of days - although her baby did get a bit better. The telephone tower in the area was down at the time, so nobody could phone to get help and advice. As soon as the tower was repaired, Nisha rang Dr Gerda, the PHASE health advisor in Nepal, for advice – Nisha changed the antibiotic treatment, but the next day Preeti was no better. The family discussed the situation and decided to arrange a helicopter to transport Preeti to hospital in Kathmandu. If Preeti’s family were not able to arrange a helicopter the journey to the hospital would have taken 4 days and during this time Preeti would have had to be carried. It is currently monsoon season in Nepal and it would have been very difficult to travel this route at this time due to heavy rains and the risk on landslides.

Preeti, her 5 day old baby, Preeti's inlaws and another young relative, Laxmi, all decided to travel to Kathmandu in the helicopter. The helicopter pilot, Ranjan, had worked with PHASE Nepal in many flight missions during the earthquake relief. Nisha also decided at the last minute to travel with the group partly to look after Preeti en route, but also because she was being transferred to a different work station.

Preeti, her baby, Prerti’s Inlaws, Laxmi, Ranjan and Nisha all died when the helicopter crashed in a tragic accident on the 8^th August 2016.

This tragedy reminds us of both the extreme commitment made by PHASE staff serving in the most remote regions across Nepal and the difficulties mothers in remote regions face in accessing hospital care.

Nisha was a bright, determined and vital young woman, who had left an easy job as a college instructor to work with PHASE in remote communities. One of the stories her mother shared with us during this week of mourning was that Nisha had decided to go to nursing college without consulting her parents, but once she had enrolled, they did everything to support her, including selling property. Recently, Nisha had been promising her brother, who is due to finish class 10 this year, that she would bring him to Kathmandu and fund his further education from her income with PHASE.

Given her own determination to improve the lives of people in remote areas and her promise to her brother to support his studies, it seems fitting to keep her memory alive by supporting young Nepalis in similar goals. The PHASE team (in consultation with her parents) has decided to set up the ‘Nisha Tamang Memorial Fund for scholarships’, dedicated to Nisha’s memory. This fund will support young people from Nisha’s home community (including her own brothers) and from Sirdibas, where she had worked, as well as potentially some of her colleagues from PHASE to access education.

If you would like to support the Nisha Tamang Memorial fund please go to - https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/nisha-tamang-memorial-fund-for-scholarships/

Or if you in the UK

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/nishatamang

Links:

http://phaseworldwide.org/statement-phase-nepal-death-nisha-tamang/

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May 10, 2016
Emergency in Childbirth

By Sarah Galvin | Director

A healthy baby was born!

Dear Supporters

It has now been 1 year since the earthquake which devastated communities across Nepal, including remote Gorkha district where this project is based.

Despite the fact that the health post buildings collapsed, the PHASE health workers continued to provide healthcare throughout the crisis. In fact, the health workers dug through the rubble to find medicines for emergency treatment and to continue other essential services such as maternal care.

Kashigaun is a remote village without road access. The maternity services PHASE supports are the only ones available in the area, and any complications in delivery can quickly get critical.

Seti is a 35-year old woman from Kashigaun, who was having her first baby. She delivered at home, and the birth was not attended by a trained health worker. After a 24-hour labour, a healthy baby was born, but unfortunately there were complications. Seti suffered from a retained placenta, meaning that the placenta did not come out naturally after the birth. Instead it remained inside her, which led to hemorrhaging. Exhausted, and rapidly losing blood, Seti fainted and drifted in and out of consciousness.

Seti’s family called the traditional healer, but he was unable to help. Time was ticking, and as a last resort the family came to get the PHASE health workers. When Samjhana and her colleagues arrived on the scene with their emergency bag of supplies they could see the situation was serious and they would have to act quickly. They worked out that the placenta was retained and that it needed to come out immediately.

Thankfully Samjhana and her colleagues had been trained on the techniques for this. Samjhana said “First, we put Seti on an IV drip to help with the low blood pressure and replace the fluid she had lost, and gave her an injection of Oxytocin to stop the bleeding and help to contract the uterus. Then, using a combination of massaging her uterus and carefully pulling on the umbilical cord, we managed to release the placenta.” Slowly, Seti recovered and her vital signs returned to normal.

According to local tradition, a new mother cannot feed the baby before the delivery of the placenta. So, the baby had fed by one of the neighbours while all of this was going on. Samjhana organised for the baby to be given back to the mother and counseled Seti about the importance of breast feeding for both the baby’s and mother’s health. She also chatted to her about the other aspects of caring for a newborn. She then left Seti with some antibiotics to prevent infection. Seti and her whole family were extremely thankful to Samjhana and the PHASE health workers, dreading to think what would have happened if they hadn’t been on hand.

One year on from the earthquake, and PHASE is still on the ground providing support to those most vulnerable. Our core values are sustainability and empowerment. So as well as providing immediate and needed handouts - food, soap, blankets, tools and housing materials – PHASE is committed to continue working alongside community members on long-term goals such as healthcare and livelihoods.

We would not be able to do any of this without your valued donations. At the moment, all donations being given to our earthquake support project, which works in some of the same remote areas in Gorkha, are being matched by 100%. This means anything you donate will be DOUBLED! To ensure your donation is matched, donate through this link: http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/projects/nepal-earthquake-emergency-appeal/

Thank you for everything you have done so far - we appreciate your continued support!

Sarah and the PHASE Worldwide team

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Jan 15, 2016
Dr Dilys Noble visits a remote health post

By Sarah Galvin | Director

A baby born during the first earthquake

Kashigaun is a 1 day truck ride followed by a 2 day walk. I would be accompanying 6 months of medical supplies (which had been delayed by the blockade) for our 3 clinics on that side of the valley.

The village of Kashigaun is a mixture of buildings that have more or less survived the earthquakes, tin shacks, tents and new builds. Life there appears harsh and it was very cold living in a building constructed of zinc sheets. The only warmth was provided by our cooking fire.

The Health post itself has survived the earthquakes and the PHASE staff there provide back up support to the 2 government Assistant Medical Officers for 3 days each week. They also do another 3 days of community outreach visits.

The children in the village were scantily clad and many complained of upper respiratory tract infections. Other had deceptively low temperatures and signs of pneumonia. Many of the children we saw in the clinic would have been hospitalised if they had been seen in a doctor’s surgery back in UK. It caused me some anxiety wondering how they would be after receiving oral paracetamol and antibiotics.

One day I walked up a hill and found myself outside a house which I recognised as belonging to the mother of a 2 year old we had seen late the night before with pneumonia. I asked after the baby and was invited in for tea. James, the 2 year old, was playing with his older sister and was certainly not showing the signs of rapid breathing and lethargy of the previous night. I was pleased that the PHASE supported health post was able to support James and other families in the community. The baby (pictured) is very special - born during the 1st earthquake and now 8 months old!

Nepali villagers struggle with immense difficulties; geographical, political and climatic all tempered with the unpredictable daily events that make up their lives. Despite the lack of facilities our nurses do a brilliant job. Living in a physically harsh environment is easy when you are able to share with such wonderfully caring people.

Links:

PHASE Worldwide website

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