October 2013 Health Camp in Helambu!

This past month, Helambu Project’s very own Dr. Mike Steven along with Dr. Valerie Steven and nurses Pearl Wight and Meg Antell conducted a health camp in three different villages in Helambu. The health camp began in Kakani, where the team saw over 160 individuals in just five hours of consultations. Patients came from around the region, some walking over three hours to be seen by the doctors. The group then trekked to nearby village Baruwa in the afternoon to run a second clinic the next day, where they treated over 150 patients – including two centenarians! They treated a range of issues from eye problems, to joint pain, to gastrointestinal issues. After a grueling uphill hike to Sermanthang (a special thank you to our wonderful porters for carrying the medicine), we enjoyed a big meal of rice and lentils and prepared for the third and final day of the health camp, where around 100 people from surrounding areas came for consultations. On the final day, the team took some time off to visit the local pilgrimage mountain of Ama Yangri!

The doctors and nurses were supported by an excellent team of local staff who served as translators and guides. Jamyong Thinley, from nearby Kakani, coordinated the health camp and couldn’t have done a better job making everything as easy as it could be. All in all, the doctors met with over 400 patients and identified some of the largest health problems of the region. In particular, many of the villagers, especially the elderly, were found to have curable and treatable eye conditions. To this end, Helambu Project is now raising funds and planning a follow up trip to make sure that the villages we visited also have access to basic eye-care and treatments.

We will be sure to keep everyone up to date when we begin our next project! In the meantime, check out some of these amazing photos from the health camp!