First published January 12, 2024 by Direct Relief.
This past November, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck western Nepal, killing 153 people and injuring hundreds more. In this remote area of the country, patients face difficulties accessing medical care even in ordinary circumstances and are particularly medically vulnerable in emergency situations.
Mountain Heart Nepal, a Nepali non-profit that specializes in providing emergency medical care, quickly moved into action. With grant funding from Direct Relief and equipped with field medic packs provided by FedEx, their teams set up four mobile clinics, reaching over 700 patients in the highly earthquake-affected districts of West Rukum and Jajarkot.
These clinics provided immediate care for the injured but also performed general health screenings, dental care, infectious disease treatment, and supplied medication refills for the management of chronic diseases, including hypertension and diabetes.
