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HHC’s Covid-19 relief during the second wave
JUNE 2021 Reported by Kul Mani, Phe Dorje and Priyasha Parajuli Compiled and edited by Soni KC Parajuli
The Government of Nepal on 29 April announced a lockdown of Kathmandu valley as a public health measure to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and it has been extended till June 21, 2021. Dhading district, where HHC primarily works, did likewise. Many vulnerable families dependent on daily wages have lost their income due to the lockdown and have no food stock or savings and are desperate.
Himalayan HealthCare has tried to respond appropriately but only in health care. As soon as the second phase lockdown was announced, we reached out to our six 6 rural municipal partners in Dhading district. They requested mainly for oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators as oxygen was in short supply in Nepal mostly because of importation from India. Pulse oximeter, hygiene kit which included masks, sanitizer, etc. and other essentials were on the list.
While we began sending out appeal letter and few substantial donations started coming in, we immediately ordered 15 concentrators from Bionic Nepal a reliable partner of HHC since 20 years so that we could help fulfill the oxygen need for the more moderately and mildly ill patients. HHC also ordered oxygen cylinders, PPE, gloves, masks, soaps, digital thermometers, etc. through local suppliers in Kathmandu.
W submitted two proposals to Direct Relief and Brother’s Brother Foundation who supported HHC during the devastating earthquake of 2015. Direct Relief’s Senior Emergency & Preparedness Manager Mr. Daniel Hovey pledged to support HHC with 10 oxygen concentrators which we received on June 2nd 2021. Likewise, all other medical equipment/instruments and supplies were collected by HHC on June 8th and organized as per the municipal request.
On 11th June HHC’s Field Supervisor Kulmani Basnet, Dhading Coordinator, Phe Dorje Tamang, and volunteer Priyasha Parajuli, made a round trip to several sites to deliver the essential Covid supplies. The six rural municipalities were informed about the visit so that an official handover was carried out. This HHC Covid relief drive will impact over a hundred thousand people of rural Dhading (106,898).
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Total Relief Goods Donated by HHC
Ruby Benighat Khaniyabas Gajuri GangaJamuna Tripurasundari Total Valley Rorang Population 9562 12749 31457 27841 21784 22992 1 Oxygen Cylinder 3 2 4 9 2 Oxygen Concentrator 2 4 4 10 3 Pulse Oximeter 3 3 4 4 3 3 20 4 Antibody Tests (RDTs) 50 50 5 PPE Set 10 10 15 10 10 10 65 Medicated Soap 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 (box of 30) 7 Masks (Box) 10 10 10 10 10 50 8 Gloves (box) 6 4 8 8 5 5 36 9 Digital Thermometer 3 10 13 10 N-95 Masks 100 100 11 Blood pressure Cuff 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Here are the details of the HHC team visit to the municipalities and the handover of the relief goods.
GAJURI RURAL MUNICIPALITY The first stop was Gajuri Municipality Office. The team met with the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Rajan Ghimire and Health In-charge Dr. Ramhari Regmi. The Chairman, Mr. Rajendra Bikram Basnet, also eventually met with the HHC team and handed over the goods to him who thanked HHC and was hopeful that this would be of great help to the patients and the health providers who were working day in and day out to help the patients.
Essentials handed over:
Item Description Unit Quantity Remarks Oxygen cylinder (10L) for 1 Pc 2 With flow meters Ambulance 2 Oxygen Concentrator Pc 4
3 Pulse Oximeter Pc 4 Batteries included
4 PPE Set Pc 10 5 Soap Pc 32 6 Gloves Box 8 7 N-95 Mask Pc 100
Covid Case Details of Gajuri Rural Municipality as of 15 June, 2021 Description Numbers 1 Beneficiary 27,841 2 Total PCR tests conducted 300+ Page | 3
3 Total Covid Positive Cases 75+ 4 Recovered Cases 68 5 Active Cases 8 6 Home Isolation 7 7 Government Isolation Center 1
HHC hired van with banner Packed and ready to be delivered
HHC Team with Gajuri Rural Municipality representatives Page | 4
BENIGHAT RORANG RURAL MUNICIPALITY After Gajuri, the team headed towards Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality Office, Bishaltaar, Dhading. They were met by RM Health In-charge, Mr. Shankar Babu Duwadi, Administrative Officer, Mr. Rajan Sapkota and Finance Officer, Mr. Santosh Aryal.
Essentials handed over: Item Description Unit Quantity Remarks 1 Oxygen Concentrator Pc 4 2 Pulse Oximeter Pc 4 Batteries included
3 PPE Set Pc 15 4 Soap Pc 32 5 Gloves Box 8 6 Mask Box 10 7 Digital Thermometer Pc 10
Covid Case Details of Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality as of 15 June 2021
Description Numbers 1 Beneficiary 31,457 2 Total PCR Conducted 600+ 3 Total Covid Positive Cases 300+ 4 Recovered Cases 130 5 Active Cases 170 6 Home Isolation 162 7 Government Isolation Center 8
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Phe Dorge Tamang teaching how to operate oxygen concentrator
Relief Goods handover to RM Health In-charge & Admin Officer
GANGA JAMUNA RURAL MUNICIPALITY
After Benighat Rorang RM, the HHC team drove to Dhadingbesi. Due to road condition, it was not possible to drive to Ganga Jamuna & Tripura Sundari Rural Municipalities, so HHC asked the representatives of the two rural municipalities to receive the relief material at the HQ of Dhading itself. The Admin Officer, Mr. Surendra Prasad Neupane received the relief material on behalf of Ganga Jamuna RM. After the handover, HHC Kul and Priyasha returned back to Kathmandu. HHC Dhading Coordinator Phe Dorje stayed overnight in Dhadingbesi for the handover to Tripurasundari RM and also to handover the relief goods to the more remote Khaniyabas and Ruby Valley Rural Municipalities.
Essentials handed over:
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Item Description Unit Quantity Remarks 1 Oxygen Cylinder (47.5lt) Pc 4 With flow meters 2 sets of (AAA 2 Pulse Oximeter (With Battery) Pc 3 battery) included 3 PPE Set Pc 10 4 Soap Pc 32 5 Gloves Box 5 6 Mask Box 10
Covid Case Details of Ganga Jamuna Rural Municipality as of 15 June 2021
Description Numbers 1 Beneficiary 21,784 2 Total PCR Conducted 679 3 Total Covid Positive Cases 274 4 Recovered Cases 174 5 Active Cases 100 6 Home Isolation 94 7 Government Isolation Center 6
Relief Material Handover to Ganga Jamuna Rural Municipality Admin Officer
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Oxygen Cylinders for Ganga Jamuna RM
TRIPURASUNDARI RURAL MUNICIPALITY HHC’s Phe Dorje handed over the relief goods to Mr. Yam Bahadur Shrestha, Health In-Charge of Tripurasundari Rural Municipality in the evening of 11th June. Mr. Shrestha thanked HHC for the support and requested HHC to help with an oxygen concentrator for the isolation center as they had only on which was not enough to help the patient flow in the center.
List of items handed over:
Item Description Unit Quantity Remarks 2 sets of (AAA 1 Pulse Oximeter (With Battery) Pc 3 battery) included 2 PPE Set Pc 10 3 Soap Pc 32 4 Gloves Box 5 5 Mask Box 10
Covid Case Details of Tripurasundari Rural Municipality as of 15 June 2021
Description Numbers 1 Beneficiary 3,500 2 Total PCR Conducted 300 PCR & 400 antigen 3 Total Covid Positive Cases 200 PCR & 100 antigen 4 Recovered Cases 136 5 Active Cases 164 6 Home Isolation 154 7 Government Isolation Center 10 8 Death 2 (referred to Kathmandu) Page | 8
KHANIYABAS RURAL MUNICIPALITY
On 12 June 2021, Phe Dorje, drove to Darkhaphedi and handed over the relief materials to Mr. Bijay Tamang, In-charge of Khaniyabas Rural Hospital in the presence of Mr. Aita Bdr. Tamang (Gemba) Health Staff of Khaniyabas RM. They also requested for antibiotics and other medicines to treat Covid patients with secondary infection. Phe received a formal request which was forwarded to HHC HQ in Kathmandu to be made ready for a second supply to Khaniyabas.
Essentials handed over:
Item Description Unit Quantity Remarks 1 Oxygen Concentrator Pc 2
2 Pulse Oximeter Pc 3 Batteries included
3 PPE Set Pc 10 4 Soap Pc 32 5 Gloves Box 4 6 Masks Box 10
Covid Case Details of Khaniyabas Rural Municipality as of 15 June 2021
Description Numbers 1 Beneficiary 12,749 2 Total PCR Conducted Only 220 antigen tests 3 Total Covid Positive Cases 77 antigen 4 Recovered Cases 57 5 Active Cases 20 6 Home Isolation 17 7 Government Isolation Center 3 8 Death 1 (referred to Kathmandu)
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HHC Field Coordinator Phe Dorje with Khaniyabas Health Staff
RUBY VALLEY RURAL MUNICIPALITY
After the handover in Darkha, Phe traveled to remote Borang. He was met by Mr. Raj Bahadur Tamang, rural municipality health in-charge and Mr. Subba BK, health unit staff of Ruby Valley RM. Mr. Subba BK witnessed the handover to Mr. Raj Tamang. They both thanked HHC for the support and were hopeful that this would benefit the people living in the region.
Essentials handed over:
Item Description Unit Quantity Remarks 1 Oxygen Cylinder (47.5lt) Pc 3 With flow meters 2 Pulse Oximeter Pc 3 Batteries included
3 PPE Set Pc 10 4 Soap Pc 32 5 Gloves Box 6 6 Masks Box 10 7 BP Cuff Set Pc 1 8 Digital Thermometer Pc 3 9 Antibody Tests Pc 50
Covid Case Details of Ruby Valley Rural Municipality as of 15 June 2021
Description Numbers 1 Beneficiary 9,562 2 Total PCR Conducted 277 PCR & 120 antigen tests 3 Total Covid Positive Cases 120 PCR & 60 antigen tests Page | 10
4 Recovered Cases 122 5 Active Cases 56 6 Home Isolation 44 7 Government Isolation Center 12 8 Death 3
Relief handover to Ruby Valley Health In-charge
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FOOD SUPPORT TO DRUGS FREE SOCIETY at GODAVARI, LALITPUR
HHC as in 2020 during the pandemic was requested for food support by chairman of Drugs Free Society Nepal, Mr. Sonam Sherpa who is known to Anil since childhood. The center which is located south of the Kathmandu valley hosts 26 patients currently and was facing hardship due to the severe lockdown. HHC was able to help the center with the following food items on 7th June:
Description Unit Quantity
1 Rice KG 40 2 Daal (lentil) KG 10 3 Cooking oil Ltr 10 4 Beaten rice KG 10 5 Tea KG 3 6 Mixed beans (Peas/Gram) KG 6 7 Masala (Spices) KG 3 8 Ghee Ltr 2 9 Packet Noodles Box 1 10 Nepali bhuja (snacks) PKT 6 11 Wheat flour KG 3 12 Mixed pickle Bottle 2 13 Medicated soap (Dettol 30 piece pack) Pack 1 14 Potato KG 25 15 Onion KG 20 16 Sugar KG 5
HHC Supervisor Kul and volunteer Priyasha with Drugs Free Society reps
The following are letters of gratitude: Page | 12
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