Improving diagnosis and multidisciplinary care in Nepal
In 2019, haemophilia diagnosis was only available in Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. The country’s mountainous landscape made travelling for diagnosis impossible for many. Even sending samples for testing was not a viable solution due to the risk of them spoiling during the long journey.
This was just one of the challenges the Nepal Haemophilia Society sought to address through their latest NNHF project and ongoing advocacy efforts. One of the key results? A Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health to support the decentralisation of diagnosis and care.
In 2022, basic labs were established in:
- Karnali Province hospital
- Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences
- Lumbini Provincial hospital
- Bharatpur Hospital
- Bir Hospital, Kathmandu
- Janakpur Zonal Hospital
- Koshi Zonal hospital
Connecting people across borders
Dr Dinesh Chandra started working with the NNHF through his involvement in one of the NNHF projects in India. Based in SGPGIMS, Lucknow, Dr Chandra is one of a dedicated team of healthcare professionals striving towards standardising haemophilia care in government hospitals across India.
Dr Chandra’s commitment to haemophilia care saw him dedicate his time to the Nepal trainees even before he arrived for the 4-day training session, ensuring the participants were familiar with the sample collecting process through briefing calls and document sharing. We are delighted that Dr Chandra is one of the participants embarking on the first NNHF Leadership Programme for Haemophilia Practitioners, which launched in January 2023.
“The participants were really good and keen to learn, I was really surprised to see the level of enthusiasm of these candidates. I hope after this workshop they will be able to do PT, APTT, mixing studies, inhibitor screening and factor VIII and IX assays.”
Dr Dinesh Chandra, India
