A travelling “safe dome” to offer medical support to Himalayan populations

A travelling “safe dome” to offer medical support to Himalayan populations. Ferrino is working alongside the Cuore Attivo Monterosa association to guarantee care of primary importance in remote Nepalese villages.

The Cuore Attivo Monterosa team have been working for a long time in the valleys of the Himalayan and Karakorum ranges, and not even the Coronavirus pandemic could stop them from continuing to provide aid and support to the populations living at the foot of the world’s biggest mountains. “We work in small, remote rural villages, mainly focusing on promoting education by building elementary and nursery schools”, they tell us. “We are continuing in this direction but this year, we decided to broaden our range of activities and to focus on the healthcare aspect too”. That’s why, in autumn 2021, they left for Nepal, where they set up a travelling medical centre, and they had this to say about their choice: “Over the last few years, we have seen that many people have real difficulties when it comes to reaching places where dedicated healthcare is available. So we thought, why don’t we go to those who need it?”.

A travelling safe dome

Thanks to the tent camp by Ferrino, and to our “safe dome”, volunteers have been able to move from village to village, offering medical support to cover the most important emergency care needs.

Two doctors, a nurse, four Red Cross aid volunteers, a technician, and two photographers arrived in the Upper Arun Valley, and from there they continued on foot to several villages, accompanied by porters and mules. Once there, they set up their mobile centre, with the “Dome” in the middle, a large surgery tent. The team’s doctors were helped by Sunita Gurun, head of the local non-profit organisation, “Himalaya Education Centre”, and by a pupil at the guest house, to register, manage and translate all the needs of the 584 people seen at the medical centre.

As well as their delicate medical work, the Cuore Attivo Monterosa team carried out clean-up operations in the villages to help with the eternal problem of plastic waste. This is destined to be an enormous problem in the environmental management of these remote areas in the future. During these healthcare visits, in every village the importance of daily cleaning and personal hygiene activities was explained, also with regard to the Covid-19 emergency.

Some figures

During the period in Nepal, 5 medical surgeries were held in 5 villages. Medical care was provided to the local population in each one, and  clothing and useful educational items were left for children. A total of 584 people were seen in the villages of Thungkhaling, Siprung, Namase, Syaksila, and Gola.