Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu:

A team of 51, including 43 doctors, four nurses and four chemists participated in the health camp organised in Lele, 17 km south of Kathmandu on the rainy Saturday of 30 April. Over 1,300 residents, of whom 75 per cent were elderly women and children, from Lele and neighbouring villages attended the camp that was set up at Saraswati Higher Secondary School. The camp had kept a nominal fee of Rs 2 for each patient aged over 9 years, the proceeds being handed over to the school. A total of 150 school students were volunteers.

“Several health camps were organised in Lele in the past but we have never seen such a massive camp that benefited so many local residents,” said Bikram Maharjan, a resident of Lele. The camp focused on women’s health, paediatrics, eye and dental care and distributed free medicine worth over Rs 1,50,000.

Ninety minutes away from Kathmandu, Lele is a village in Lalitpur district with access to only one health post, catering to a population of about 20,000.

Formed in 2004, Haami has been conducting camps with funds raised organising parties. Haami, a group of like minded professionals from diverse background like law, media, art, communications, tourism, development and medicine, is formed with the goal to create a mechanism where individuals, via skill oriented training, can become economically independent.