SOLUKHUMBU, OCTOBER 17
The dream of rural people in the Everest region has finally come true. Hundreds of villagers, including foreign and Nepali donors gathered in a remote village of Solukhumbu to inaugurate the first public-private partnership hospital in the Everest region.
Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Primary Hospital which is considered the brainchild of late Wongchhu Sherpa, a mountaineer and social worker, was formally brought into operation amidst a function at Tapting village of Solu Dudhkunda Municipality on October 12.
According to Lakpa Sherpa, president of Himalayan Yokpu Foundation, the grand opening ceremony was attended by municipality Mayor Namgyal Jangbu Sherpa, Founder of Everest ER Luanne Freer, Eric Luther Johnson, former president of Wilderness Medical Society, Founder of Musa Masala Michael McLaughlin, WMS's immediate past president Linda Elaine Keyes and upcoming president Dr Jennifer Elizabeth Dow, among others.
The 15-bed hospital, which has been providing medical services to remote Solukhumbu villagers, was built with the support of multiple donors including WMS, Musa Masala, Everest ER, Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island, 7 Summits Foundation, Paul Auerbach Memorial Fund, and Jen Kurmaskie-Konopka Memorial Fund as well as individual donors from around the world.
Lakpa, also a daughter of late Wongchhu Sherpa, recalled that there were times when many people here had to lose their lives without even getting normal treatment and mothers had to give up their lives in pregnancy. "My father strived to improve and transform this society for as long as he lived, perhaps because he grew up in this environment," she added, "This ward's Tapting health post has been upgraded and is now transformed to this wonderful 15-bed hospital."
The hospital has already started its services and is now providing treatment to around 600 patients a month, according to Sherpa.
Honouring Dr Paul Auerbach's contribution to the hospital, the emergency ward of the hospital has been named after Paul. "We have included names of our major donors - Dr Luanne Freer, Dr Eric Luther Johnson and major fundraising partner Wilderness Medical Society - in our hospital buildings," Sherpa informed. Lab room has been named after Megan Rand and OPD ward after Jennifer Konopka. "We have also decided to provide free medical treatment to all our land donors in this hospital," she added, "In order to provide high-quality health services, we are building a 'birthing centre' with the help of AC Sherpa, chairperson of 7 Summit Foundation."
The hospital has been able to provide OPD, USG, pharmacy, general check-up, delivery, lab and other services till date. "Within a month our hospital will receive a high-quality 500MA DR system x-ray machine. Likewise, we are also thinking of providing telemedicine services from our hospital. We further plan to construct a separate building for ENT service, dental ward, conference hall, inpatient ward and many other necessary remaining services," Sherpa said.
Luanne Freer, Dr Eric Luther Johnson and major fundraising partner Wilderness Medical Society - in our hospital buildings," Sherpa informed. Lab room has been named after Megan Rand and OPD ward after Jennifer Konopka's name. "We have also decided to provide free medical treatment to all our land donors in this hospital," she added, "In order to provide high-quality health services, we are building a 'birthing center' with the help of AC Sherpa, chairperson of 7 Summit Foundation."
According to Dr Eric Luther Johnson, Past President of WMS, in reflecting on the past 7-8 years, in watching this bare piece of ground become a place where "care" is given and lives improved, the first words that came to him were: It takes a village. "This simple ancient African cultural-based phrase initially applied to the raising of children but I truly believe applies to this project. The initial idea and spark came from my very close friend, Wongchhu Sherpa, who wanted nothing more than to improve the health and care of his village area," he quipped, adding, "For the small role I may have played in helping this process along in manifesting my friend's vision, I am ever grateful and blessed."
Dr Luanne Freer, Past President of WMS And founder of Everest ER, recounted: "In 2003 I set out to create and set up the first hospital at Mt Everest base camp. I stumbled - hard. I arrived with all of my duffles to Kathmandu and was immediately faced with the harsh reality that my contracted expedition organizer reneged on his offer to set up our base camp. A chance meeting in Thamel with an Everest climber put me on the phone with Wongchhu Sherpa. He asked what I was doing and why. When he heard that the mission was to set up a hospital to provide expert care for all, using funds collected from foreign climbers to subsidize free or low cost healthcare to Nepali workers, he had heard enough. He made a quick decision to extend me a kindness: to set up and run my hospital dream, at considerable expense and trouble to him. That kindness became a recurring relationship; next spring we will open the 20th season for the Everest ER, having seen close to 10000 patients and having saved many lives."
"During these years I came to know the person who was Wongchhu Sherpa, who was all about making life better for those less fortunate. Instead of enjoying his profits from a successful trekking company, he used his money and influence to improve life for villagers in his home village Chhyangba: he built a school, a road, and hydroelectric power. His kindness extended outside of his Solu home and he repaired bridges in the Khumbu, and ran a cleanup campaign in the Khumbu and on Everest. I wanted to share this amazing man with my friends, and not surprisingly, his fan club grew. So we didn't hesitate for a moment when a very sick Wongchhu declared his dying wish to bring healthcare to the people of Tapting. A small group of friends started the process of engaging a contractor and raising and donating money to make Wongchhu's dream a reality. We joined forces with the Wilderness Medical Society to create a nonprofit home to raise more money to build, and Wongchhu's daughter Lakpa presided over the project at the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation. The miracle of the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Primary Hospital - Tapting began with kindness extended to me, and an entire community enjoys yet another gift from Wongchhu. It's impossible to count how many lives have been improved by this one amazing man," Dr Luanne added.
