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 Latest News From Our Volunteers in Nepal

VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY CARE CLINICS IN NEPAL

Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world and has been plagued with political unrest and military conflict for the past decade. In 2015, a pair of major earthquakes devastated this small and fragile country. 

Since 2008, the Acupuncture Relief Project has provided over 300,000 treatments to patients living in rural villages outside of Kathmandu Nepal. Our efforts include the treatment of patients living without access to modern medical care as well as people suffering from extreme poverty, substance abuse and social disfranchisement.

Common conditions include musculoskeletal pain, digestive pain, hypertension, diabetes, stroke rehabilitation, uterine prolapse, asthma, and recovery from tuberculosis treatment, typhoid fever, and surgery.

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COMPASSION CONNECT : DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Episode 1
Rural Primary Care

In the aftermath of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, this episode explores the challenges of providing basic medical access for people living in rural areas.

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Episode 2
Integrated Medicine

Acupuncture Relief Project tackles complicated medical cases through accurate assessment and the cooperation of both governmental and non-governmental agencies.

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Episode 3
Working With The Government

Cooperation with the local government yields a unique opportunities to establish a new integrated medicine outpost in Bajra Barahi, Makawanpur, Nepal.

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Episode 4
Case Management

Complicated medical cases require extraordinary effort. This episode follows 4-year-old Sushmita in her battle with tuberculosis.

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Episode 5
Sober Recovery

Drug and alcohol abuse is a constant issue in both rural and urban areas of Nepal. Local customs and few treatment facilities prove difficult obstacles.

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Episode 6
The Interpreters

Interpreters help make a critical connection between patients and practitioners. This episode explores the people that make our medicine possible and what it takes to do the job.

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Episode 7
Future Doctors of Nepal

This episode looks at the people and the process of creating a new generation of Nepali rural health providers.

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Compassion Connects
2012 Pilot Episode

In this 2011, documentary, Film-maker Tristan Stoch successfully illustrates many of the complexities of providing primary medical care in a third world environment.

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From Our Blog


Since I’ve been here, besides treating patients, I’ve been reading some books of Buddhist thought.  One book that speaks to me deeply is called Medicine & Compassion, A Tibetan Lama’s Guidance For Caregivers written by the Venerable Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and David R. Shlim, M.D. 

One thing from the book that sticks with me is the idea of treating patients with joyous diligence.  The thought is that you gain energy because you enjoy the work.  It is also one of the 6 virtues of a Bodhisattva, having perseverance.


As I’ve been treating patients I’ve noticed some are easier for me to treat than others.  There are many reasons for this.  Some of their cases are very complex and my experience and confidence are lacking, the language barriers and the subtle things that get lost in translation are numerous, and sometimes just the pure energetics between people can be a challenge.  When I run into these walls, I try to bring myself back to the idea of joyous diligence and the action of having perseverance. 

The other day I saw a woman for her second treatment and as I looked at her chart it was very complex and I thought, “What am I possibly going to be able to do to help her?”  The beloved interpreter and I started in, and the patient revealed that she had been bitten by a dog.  I looked away from her chart and up at her and realized that I had dodged a bullet trying to figure out how to treat the things on her chart, but that we were going to head in a totally different direction with her whole new barrage of ammo.  After a few basic questions about the incident we got to the place of making choices about her treatment.  Number one…if the dog was vaccinated we don’t need to send you to the health post but we do need to contact the owners and get the vaccination report to be sure.  Number two…you need to go to the health post for vaccination because we can’t get a vaccination report and the dog owner doesn’t care that his dog bit you.  Number three…don’t ask for a vaccination report for the dog or go to the health post and risk getting very sick.

After tears, worry, and deep concern from all parties involved, I cleaned the wound and told her that I cared for her and I didn’t want her to get sick.  She said she had no money and I assured her that was nothing to worry about and that we would take care of it as long as she agreed to go to the health post for a rabies vaccination.  More tears, no way of paying us back, her husband had passed away a year ago, no money.  I again assured her that the only choice she had was to go to the health post because if she got sick, it would only make matters worse.  She cried and said, “Those dog owners don’t care if I die because I am poor.”  We reminded her again that we cared and that was why she needed to go to the health post.

I was just about to say, “Ok, these are your options and if you don’t want to go you don’t have too.” And she said, “Ok, I’ll go.  You have convinced me that I don’t want to be sick.”

So away we went with her to receive her first of three injections.  After it was all over we got back to our clinic and I treated her to ease her emotions.

At the end of our treatment she thanked us for not letting her get sick and die, and told us that now we too had become her family because we cared for her.

Upon reflection of the situation, I realized that when I let go of my agenda for her care, she also let go and agreed to let us help her.  I have also been struck by the fact that we fly half way around the globe to care for people, but how do we treat our neighbors and people of our own village?  With joyous diligence?

---Amy Schwartz

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Our Mission

Acupuncture Relief Project, Inc. is a volunteer-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization (Tax ID: 26-3335265). Our mission is to provide free medical support to those affected by poverty, conflict or disaster while offering an educationally meaningful experience to influence the professional development and personal growth of compassionate medical practitioners.


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