101-yr-old Funchu Tamang receives medical attention at QRC’s healthcare facility. Tamang, who survived a whole week under the rubble, is one of the several Nepalis to receive medical attention from the QRC medical staff. He is recovering from pneumonia and is now homeless like his family and thousands of other Nepalis who require help.

The Health Care Unit (HCU) deployed by Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) in Trishuli in Nuwakot district of Nepal, has provided medical attention to more than 308 local patients in 48 hours, with hopes of treating more than 7,000 in the coming three months.
In a swift response to the earthquake that hit Nepal and claimed thousands of lives, QRC set up an operation room for collecting information on the situation to define emergency needs.
Based on the recommendations and outcomes of continuous meetings at QRC’s Disaster Information and Management Centre, a decision was taken to send an HCU on board one of Qatar’s four relief flights that reached Kathmandu just two days following the quake.
Upon reaching Kathmandu, the QRC assessment team explored a number of locations in order to decide the best site for the HCU. It was required that the location provides medical services and support to as many affected people as possible.
In collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, QRC deployed the HCU at Trishuli. It took two days to assemble the unit, which started its services on May 4. During the first two days, the HCU received 308 patients. On the initial day, it received 212 cases, including earthquake injuries and patients of pneumonia, eye infection, chronic ailments such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as obstetrics and gynaecology cases.
The HCU is operated by three physicians, six nurses and a pharmacist. The medical staff is also assisted by a number of local volunteers with a medical background who are currently receiving field training from QRC medical staff.
This voluntary collaboration is meant to maximise the capabilities of the HCU and build trust with local communities as the volunteers are from the region and have knowledge of the local culture.
The HCU comprises tents and medical and non-medical equipment. It is a self-sufficient healthcare facility and can provide a full range of medical services to more than 7,000 individuals from 30 to 100 days without resorting to any external supplies. It’s also equipped with 30-40 beds.
The healthcare facility has multiple outpatient clinics - walk-in, general, urology and gastroenterology. It also includes an emergency section, operating theatre, orthopaedic surgery room, emergency laboratory as well as a 40-bed temporary ward for patients.
The HCU has a pre-equipped pharmacy with a large stock of medicines for chronic diseases, paediatrics, gynaecology and general cases. QRC teams are also conducting health awareness sessions on infectious diseases and therapeutic feeding.
The QRC medical mission has been extended to three months in order to provide as much help as it can to the affected population in Trishuli and its surroundings in light of the partial collapse of the local hospital and scarcity of medical services.
QRC has also invited a team of medical personnel from the Singapore Red Cross to work on QRC’s HCU in order to achieve the maximum operational benefit from the unit and bolster co-ordination between the two agencies.
QRC receives online donations via www.qrcs.org.qa
Ooredoo customers in Qatar can also SMS “L” to 92176 to donate QR50, to 92766 to donate QR100 or to 92770 to donate QR500.


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