Karuna-Shechen Nepal’s Earthquake Relief Program

News Flash 05 May 2015

The 7.8 rector earthquake that struck Nepal at 11.54am was felt in India, Tibet, Bhutan and Bangladesh. In Nepal, 36 of 75 districts, including Kathmandu, saw massive destruction of property and resulted in thousands of deaths. The Government of Nepal estimates that 130,033 houses have been destroyed and 85,856 houses are partially damaged.

On the first day of the earthquake, phone and internet connections were all down. The Boudhanath area itself did not see much damage, although many houses have developed severe cracks. There were also many injured. During the earthquake, around 7000 people had gathered for a prayer ceremony inside Shechen Monastery. Nobody panicked or rushed out as the earthquake shook the Monastery violently and severely damaged many buildings.

After the ceremony, around 4000 people moved inside the compound of the Monastery to occupy temporary shelters erected for the prayer ceremony as powerful aftershocks continued. Many pitched their own camps. Shechen monks organized shelter, medical care, food and water distribution for everyone.

Day of the Earthquake Disaster (25 April 2015)

Day 2 (26 April 2015)

On the second day, Shechen Clinic & Hospice was setup as a triage center. A first-aid center was established inside the Shechen Monastery for anyone needing medical assistance.

SC&H has been training Advanced First Aid Providers from all over Nepal in preparation for a disaster like this. The training program began in 2013 with the training of 60 Advanced First-Aid Providers in Boudhanath. Among them 35 monks were from Shechen Monastery. These Advanced First-Aid Providers were able to help many earthquake victims. In Boudhanath area, the trained monks rushed many to bring in casualties to the first-aid center in Shechen Monastery where they gave them emergency care. The Monastery provided food and water to almost 4000 people who took shelter there. The monks continued to provide food, water, shelter, and medical care to the almost 4000 people camped on the grounds of Shechen Monastery.

Day 3 (27 April 2015)

In SC&H, a skeleton medical team manned the Hospice in rotation and managed triage. Our doctors and other medical staff were mobilized in their own residential localities to address emergency needs there. This is usual and planned. In such a scenario, doctors and medical personnel, apart from those manning trauma centers in hospitals, are expected to be mobilized in their own localities, so as not to lose time in responding to medical emergencies, or unnecessarily complicated logistics.

A team from Shechen Monastery comprising of advanced first-aid trained monks toured Boudhanath area and treated victims with minor injuries in their homes or in temporary shelters. They did not find anyone with serious injury needing hospital care.

Day 4 (28 April 2015)

Medical activities just as day 3 continued.

Many stories also began emerging of how Advance First-Aid Providers trained by SC&H had helped during the earthquake. Since 2013, SC&H has trained 294 advanced first-aid providers. During the earthquake, many of these providers have been very busy treating victims and saving many lives.

People like Saraswati Thing from Lapshiphedi village helped save many lives in the tragedy. She worked with her local health post to treat the injured and transferred many patients to other advanced healthfacilities. She has continued to give medicines and take care of the injured since then.

Samjhana Ghlan saw much of her village destroyed in the earthquake in Sankhu. She rushed to help and gave emergency care to many injured. She saw 4 mortalities in front of her own eyes but was happy to have saved more lives.

Rinjin Bhote was in Dhapasi when earthquake struck. She ran to a safer ground only to hear cry of pain from people injured from fallen bricks and buildings. Since a medical clinic was nearby, she ran to offer help and worked with a local health worker to treat many injured. She estimates that she was able to helpmore than 20 victims who had cuts, sprains and other injures. She also successfully transferred victims who had serious injury to a nearby hospital. She was saddened that so many people had died, but she felt deeply satisfied that she was able to do as much as she could because of advanced first-aid training.

Day 5 (29 April 2015)

Some of our doctors were relieved from their emergency assignments in their localities and came back to the Clinic. Boudhanath area, which was our core designated priority area in case of such a disaster situation, was determined to be medically secure.

SC&H was able to organize a first medical clinic at Chilaune village in Kathmandu district. The houses in the village were badly damaged and the villagers had suffered many injuries. A total of 130 patents were treated.

Day 6 (30 April 2015)

Two medical teams were dispatched to Nikoshera village in Bhaktapur district. The teams found extensive damage in the villages. Many villagers were sleeping outside in temporary shelters. Many patients had fall injures, deep cuts, severe mosquito bites from sleeping outside in tents without mosquito nets, diarrhea because the water wasn’t clean, tonsillitis, cough and cold due to cold nights and early mornings. The Clinic was able to treat most of them on-the-spot, while few patients that required more advance care were recommended for treatment in other medical facilities.

Shechen Monastery dispatched a medical team consisting of 3 doctors and 10 monks who were advanced first-aid providers trained by SC&H, and an earthquake relief team to Nuwakot district, where many rural villages have seen no medical or relief help arrive

Day 7 (01 May 2015)

A medical team from SC&H reached a remote village of Chilaune in Dhading district. The patients from surrounding villages of Kakre and Karki Gau also came for medical treatment. The houses in these villages had suffered extensively damage but they had not received any medical help, while only few sacks of rice had arrived for 3 villagers from their village development committee office. A total of 180 patents were checked during the camp.

Another medical team reached Bansngopal in Bhaktapur district. A total of 105 patients were checked. Many had injuries and other earthquake related illnesses.

Day 8 (02 May 2015)

The medical and earthquake relief teams of Shechen Monastery were able to reach Sumari VDC of Nuwakot district. The teams distributed relief materials like rice, lentils, flour, biscuits and packed noodles in the villages in all 8 wards of the VDC, as they didn’t have enough to eat. The food the villagers had stored in their houses where all buried after their houses had collapsed. The medical team managed to check 400 patients. Most of the patients had deep cuts and injuries in many parts of their bodies.

The medical team from SC&H managed to reach Sano Gau of Chatre Deurali VDC in Dhading district. The villagers of Simkhada and Gari Gau also came from medical checkup. Like in most parts Dhading, 90% of the houses in these villages are severely damaged and the villagers are living in makeshift shelters. Our team managed to check 128 patients.

Another medical team from SC&H reached Gurung Gau in Kathmandu despite badly damaged road and treated 35 earth-quake victims.

SC&H, in partnership with NADEM, conducted an advanced first-aid training at Shree Mahakala School in Baluwapati, Kavre on 02 May 2015. The 40 participants were trained to give emergency care and taught earthquake trauma management. In Baluwapati, 99% of homes have been destroyed by earthquake.

Day 9 (03 May 2015)

The medical and earthquake relief teams of Shechen Monastery were able to reach Gangphedi VDC, the remotest place in Nuwakot district, after 6 hours of walk. This area had not seen any medical or relief help arrive despite massive destruction and injury suffered in the area. The team distributed relief materials like rice, lentils, flour, biscuits and packed noodles to the families of 2 wards in the VDC. The medical team managed to check 250 patients. Most patients had deep cuts and injuries in all parts of their bodies.

The medical team from SC&H visited Alapot village and checked 153 patients, while another team from SC&H visited Teku slums and treated 61 patients. In the earthquake confusion and chaos, Teku slums, though having suffered minimal damage and casualty, were left out of the equation and needed urgent medical help.

Day 10 (04 May 2015)

SC&H, in partnership with LOOKS Nepal, a local NGO in Kavre district, distributed relief materials to 89 families in Ward no. 5 of Ugratara VDC of Kavre district. A total of 88 packs (2640 kilos) of rice, 176 kilos of lentils, 88 packets of salt, 176 pieces of soap, and oral rehydration sachets were distributed. A total of 89 families, selected as per our qualification criteria, whose houses were severely damaged, received the relief materials. These families are living in temporary shelter and most of the food they stored inside their houses has also been destroyed as their houses have collapsed.

Two medical teams from SC&H conducted camps in Alapot and nearby area of Suntari Gagalphadi and checked 270 patients combined. Both these areas suffered extensive damage from the earthquake.

Day 11 (05 May 2015)

Medical teams were dispatched to Jharuwarasi VDC in Lalitpur district and Indrayani VDC in Kathmandu district. The teams treated 280 patients.

Relief materials and food were being distributed to 102 families of Ward Number 1, and 108 families of Ward Number 5, ofMahindrajyoti VDC, in Kavre District.

Two mobile medical teams to be continuously deployed to 2 affected locations every day.

Relief materials and food is approved to be delivered to:

1. 59 families of Ward Number 6 of Mahindrajyoti VDC, in Kavre District; 2. 121 families of Ward Number 9 of Ugrachandi VDC, in Kavre District; 3. 102 families of Ward Number 7 of Ravi Opi VDC, in Kavre District; 4. 252 households of Ward Number 6 of Dhading District; 5. 45 families of Ward Number 6 of Skankharapur in Kathmandu district;

Meeting with the Federation of National NGOs to materialize and coordinate the expansion of relief work to other affected areas.

Immediate future