Nepal: Orphanage Support
Dental Camp Treats 35 Children: Q2 2019
August 01, 2019
Ganesh Shrestha
Summary of Activities
Currently, RMF supports two NCO children’s homes in Kathmandu, located at Naxal and Sifal, with 1 nurse and 2 auxiliary nurses. RMF’s nurses provide 24-hour, daily care for the children sheltered in these homes. Nurses provide both preventive and curative health services to all the children as well as staff of NCO. As a result of their continuous presence, they are able to diagnose children more efficiently, leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment. RMF’s nurses are especially committed to providing care for the children with chronic diseases and special needs, as these children are more vulnerable to infections and require special care.
During this quarter:
- 395 children were treated by RMF nurses, 24 of whom were referred to the hospital.
- RMF continued to support 3 residential nurses at NCO Naxal and Sifal homes.
- NCO children attended a health camp focused on dental health.
- RMF pediatricians from Kanti Children’s Hospital continued to visit NCO homes on a weekly basis.
Full Report
Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Vitamin A
Immune Support
Vitamin A is essential to support children’s immune systems. In April and October, the National Vitamin A Program administers 200,000 IU of vitamin A to children from 6 months to 5 years of age throughout the country, as well as Albendazole deworming tablets. RMF nurses facilitated the Vitamin A Program by administering the capsules to 91 targeted children on that day, which was conducted on April 19–20, 2019.
Dental Camp
Promoting Care
A dental camp was conducted by Osid Nepal and Om Samaj Hospital. RMF nurses also were involved in the camp, in which 35 children were checked and treated. Checkups, scaling services, dental health counseling, and referral services were provided in the camp. Our nurses supported the camp by registering the patients, and they also provided the necessary health and treatment history of the children to the dentists.
Medical Checkups
RMF Doctors
In addition to providing nursing staff for these two NCO children’s homes, RMF provides regular doctors’ checkups to the children, as our pediatricians from Kanti Children’s Hospital visit the homes weekly. Children in need of more extensive medical treatment are referred to the hospital and accompanied by an RMF nurse.
Background
& Objectives
Background
Established in 1964, Nepal Children’s Organization (NCO), also known as Balmandir (The Children’s Temple) is one of the oldest non-profit organizations in Nepal working for the protection and promotion of childrens’ rights and providing residential care to the children at risk. This includes orphans, differently-abled, abandoned and conflict affected children.
After the devastating earthquake on April 25th, followed by another strong earthquake on May 12th, an estimated 2,023 children have been confirmed dead. Likewise, the number of the injured children has been established at 876 and approximately, 200 children have lost their mothers and 112 have lost their fathers. Nearly 2 million children are said to have been affected by this mega quake and the powerful aftershocks thereafter. (Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, June 2015)
Among those children who lost their parents, many have come under the tutelage of NCO, whose own shelter home was heavily destroyed by the disaster. Currently, through their 10 children’s homes within and outside Kathmandu valley, NCO has been caring for 280 children, including the earthquake-affected.
RMF will be supporting NCO in improving orphanage-based children’s health by providing better quality primary health care, including nutrition, sanitation and hygiene.
Objectives
- Provide psychosocial counseling to deeply affected children
- Construct a room for infants
- Health and sanitation trainings for house mothers and children
- Construct a room for differently-abled children
- Provide better quality primary healthcare
- Provide qualified staff nurses at NCO’s centers
- Enhance knowledge and awareness of health and nutrition
More
Photos
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Numbers
Served
Patients Served This Quarter
419 CHILDREN TREATED
- Treated at Hospital: 24
- Treated at NCO Homes: 395
Success
Stories
Bebasti Sahi
10 Years Old
Bebasti Sahi is a 10-year-old girl who was brought to an NCO home by the police from Kalikot. She started showing symptoms such as dandruff, itchy scaly skin, and lesions over the scalp, which developed into a scalp infection later on. We took her to Tribhuvan University (TU) Teaching Hospital’s outpatient department, where the doctor prescribed Sofolvin and Ketanol and advised her to bathe twice a week with the prescribed shampoo.
Raju Basyal
10 Years Old
Raju Basyal, a 10-year-old boy, fell down the stairs while he was playing with his friends. After a day, his right hand and finger were in pain and turning blue. An RMF nurse took him to TU Teaching Hospital’s orthopedic department. The doctor advised an x-ray for investigation and put a splint on Raju’s arm. He was also prescribed painkillers and scheduled for weekly follow ups. The splint was removed after 21 days, and now, Raju is doing well.
Roji Tamang
3 Months Old
Roji Tamang, 3 months old, was brought to NCO from Thapathali Maternity Hospital in Kathmandu. She was left there by her parents, as she was born with a low birth weight and cleft lip and cleft palate. The hospital administration contacted NCO, and she was brought to NCO Naxal home. Two days after arriving, she began to have a fever which progressed up to 102°F and would not reduce. Thus, we took her to Kanti Children’s Hospital. After all the necessary investigations, she was found to have an infection, with 7.5 gm/dl hemoglobin. A blood transfusion was done in the hospital, and she was hospitalized for 15 days.
