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By Dr. Emilie Salomons

Created: 11 August 2010

I arrived in Chapagaon, Nepal with two large bags overflowing with medical supplies. Appointed as the sole available doctor for the monsoon season in the ongoing rotation of health care practitioners organized by the Acupuncture Relief Project, which provides services at the Vajra Varahi Health Centre.

The Vajra Varahi Health Center has been open for two years now and offers a myriad of health services. These services are available for an optional 5 rupee donation (equivalent to around 7 cents), which allows the clinic to accept everyone and anyone who walks through its doors.

After hundreds of treatments I have had the opportunity to get a glimpse of the conditions the people of Nepal live with on a daily basis without consistent medical care and supervision. Although there are hospitals and basic primary care options available, in many cases not only is it too far to travel, but the cost of services deter many from seeking the assistance they so desperately need and deserve.

I recall at one point begging an older gentleman to go to the hospital to seek treatment for what appeared to be the early stage of a second stroke. He was reluctant because not only were the treatment and diagnosis costs far out of his financial range, but the expense of the journey to the hospital alone, was too much for him. This scenario is not uncommon at the Vajra Varahi clinic, which acts as a primary health centre, a general care facility and unofficially, a triage for the hospital.

Once the word got out that I was in town and open to treat patients, some people walked hours to get to the clinic to have their ailments looked at, others commuted considerable distances, staying with friends or distant relatives for weeks, leaving their families behind in order to receive their long overdue treatments. Ailments included paralysis, reoccurring seizures, extremely severe varicose veins, uncontrolled asthma, TB, severe rheumatoid arthritis, Bells Palsy, Parkinson’s, hernias, vaginal pro-lapse, malaria, un-abetting fever, dysentery, and a multitude of gastric complaints. Patients were incredibly thankful to have the clinic available to them and offered tokens of their appreciation continually despite my polite decline and explanation that it was my job and they needn’t give me anything.

The other project I participated in while in Nepal was the training of eight HIV/addiction center staff in the “Five needle protocol” for substance withdrawal. The Sathi Samuha centre offers live in care for HIV positive clients and their families as well as detoxification services for substance abusers and a safe house for sex trade workers. They have three other facilities, which also offer out patient substance abuse prevention and harm reduction safe injection sites. The training went exceptionally well, as the center’s staff had been asking to be trained in the “Five needle protocol” for years and were excited to finally have a new tool to help with withdrawal symptoms, relapse prevention and program retention. The eight Sathi Samuha trainees were diligent students and learned the material very quickly. Finally armed with a cost effective tool to battle the growing problem of substance abuse, they finished the training excited and determined to help as many patients as they could.

My final impression at the end of the journey is that the Acupuncture Relief Project, the Vajra Varahi Health Centre and the Sathi Samuha Centre are three honorable and genuinely effective programs serving the impoverished, disenfranchised Nepalese population. I feel incredibly privileged and grateful to have been a part of this project. –Emilie

Admin note: Dr. Emilie Salomons is now practicing at Acubalance Wellness Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. We sincerely thank Emilie for her contributions and wish her success in her new practice.

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By Leela Longson

Created: 15 June 2010

As an acupuncturist spending a few short months in Nepal, I often wondered if the healthcare we were offering was making any lasting difference.  I saw many chronic issues related to the stress of a difficult lifestyle and cold climate. I would ask myself how I could best help my patients in the long run. Since many of my patients suffered from low back pain, I recognized that some gentle stretching exercises would probably help them a lot.

Here in Nepal, there is very little yoga or other stretching done within the culture.  I decided that I could either teach them individually or in a group setting. From my own experience practicing yoga, I noticed that people are often much more likely to stretch in a class together and it is helpful to the overall healing process to share experience with others.  So, I chose a date to have a Back Stretching Workshop and my colleagues and I started putting the word out during our clinic treatments. I wondered if the people of Chapagaon would be excited to learn some new skills to help themselves live more pain free?  Many of our patients travel 2-3 hours or more to the clinic, usually on foot.  Would they make the journey? 

On the first day, 10 people showed up and we all joined on the rooftop patio, elbow to elbow, on bamboo mats to learn some basic yoga stretches.  Sonya, one of our clinic’s dedicated interpreters, helped them understand my directions and move into the stretches.  They did a great job of picking up the poses, with drawings to take home so they could continue.  And at the end, they couldn’t wait to come back to class the following week.  It was one of the most gratifying things I did while working at the clinic!

I loved their enthusiasm and willingness to learn.  It was simple, it brought people together, and it gave them a tool they could use for their own well-being. –Leela

Admin note: Leela Longson is now practicing at Confluence Clinic in Portland Oregon. We sincerely thank Leela for her contributions in providing basic healthcare at our clinic in Nepal and wish her success in her new clinic practice.

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By Andrew Schlabach

Created: 25 March 2010

Volunteer practitioners are the heart and soul of our small project. In the last two years we have had the distinct pleasure of working with 14 acupuncturists hailing from several Oriental medicine schools in the United States and Canada. Through our combined efforts we have provided over 15,000 acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments to nearly 3000 of the poorest people in the world. Our volunteer's dedication to overcoming the hardships of living and working in the small third-world country of Nepal is not only admirable but also rather extraordinary. Not only do they set aside their own families and daily comforts to endure the rigorous workload, they also have to look after their own health and learn all they can about this impoverished country and its people. They have alleviated pain, helped stroke patients learn to walk, managed widespread outbreaks of the flu, cured diarrhea, and reduced asthma. They have cared for infants, adults and the dying. In short, they have extended a hand of kindness and compassion in a way that few people will ever know.

We are sincerely grateful for their service.

In 2010, Acupuncture Relief Project will again staff the Vajra Varahi Clinic in Chapagaon, Nepal and is now seeking applications from qualified acupuncture practitioners, naturopathic physicians, chiropractors and other medical professionals. We will be conducting three clinic camps from September 2010 to March 2011. Each camp will last seven weeks and be limited to four practitioners. We are also accepting applications from practitioners who would like to serve in Nepal other times during the year.

If you would like to be considered for the 2010/11 project, please download and submit our application by June 15th, 2010. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a first come first served basis.

As Oriental medicine practitioners, we assure you an insightful experience and an opportunity to perfect and learn new skills while witnessing the transformative power of your medicine. More importantly you will be serving a community that desperately needs your support.

Please click here to download our application packet or contact me for more information.

I’m very excited about offering this opportunity and I hope that we will be working together in Nepal. -Andrew