Initial situation for the construction of a new health station in Gope, Solu Khumbu district.

The Corona pandemic in Nepal has shown that minimal basic medical care is still not a matter of course in Nepal. This is especially true for the mountain population in the Himalayas.

The health centres in Betang and Bhorle which were established with your help, were expanded with little effort during the Corona pandemic to include small, effective Corona aid stations. Even lives from more distant villages could thus be saved and infections could be reduced through education.

Now we are pleased to present a new clinic construction project intended to further improve medical care.

Why Gope in Solu Khumbu District?

The good reputation of the already existing health stations in Betang and Bhorle has led to repeated requests to Ram Kumar Tamang of NHEFoN to build another health station.

We chose Gope in Solu Khumbu for the following reasons:

• The absolute undersupply of health services to the approximately 6,000 people living in Gope’s catchment area.
• The commitment of the local population.
• The active cooperation with the local groups and the administration.
• The speedy provision of a suitable plot of land.
• Ram Kumar’s Tamang’s extensive knowledge of the local situation; he grew up near Gope.

The location

Lohkim/Gope and the surrounding area are only accessible in winter with off-road vehicles. The next bigger village, Lukla (entrance to the Everest region), is 4 days walk away. By jeep Gope can be reached in two days from Kathmandu, in the rainy season often only by foot.

The catchment area has about 6,000 inhabitants.

The proposed site is right next to a government secondary school. There are no stores or other facilities there. The population gain their living from agriculture which however is possible to a limited extent only. The region is formed by very steep slopes, and the terraced fields are correspondingly small. If possible, the people there also work in trekking as guides, sherpas or porters. This is only possible seasonally.

The goal, the cost

The goal of the project is to establish a small health centre in Gope, which will permanently ensure basic medical care and serve as a counselling centre for the people in the region. Currently there are only sporadic visits by a nurse. In the future, a full-time nurse will be on duty in Gope, financed by the government. A doctor can be called in for difficult cases.

The construction costs in Gope are considerably higher than in Betang and Bhorle because the region is much more remote. They amount to 80,000.00 €.

State of preparation

• The legal requirements for the construction of the health station in Gope have been clarified despite many adversities, especially due to the Corona restrictions.
• All plans and documents have been approved and reviewed by the relevant authorities.
• The dialogue with the clinic committee, the women’s group and the population about the operational work in the clinic, the frame conditions for the construction and about the wishes of the population regarding health care has already taken place at the end of 2020.
• The land was donated and has been transferred.

We are happy that the preparations have been completed and that the “hot phase” can begin in November 2021. The experience gained especially by Ram Kumar Tamang as construction manager and Madhav Regmi as architect during the construction of the clinics in Betang and Bhorle is an excellent precondition for the success of the project. They will live in Gope during the construction period.

The plot

The plot is developed, about 300 square meters, electricity and water are available. It is centrally located, directly opposite the school.

The site was chosen by the population because it is equally accessible from all the widely scattered parts of the village.

Resources to be used

• Stones located on the property will be used as building materials.
• Sand and gravel can be taken from the nearby river.
• Wood for the windows comes from the immediate neighbourhood, they will be manufactured locally.
• Electricity is hydroelectricity.
• The workers are all local and very familiar with the processing of the materials.

The building

Like the other two clinics, the building will have a waiting area, a treatment room and a delivery room. A room and cooking facilities, as well as a separate shower and toilet outside will be built for the nurse who works on site and also lives there. A hot shower and indoor toilet will be available for deliveries. A separate toilet is provided in the outdoor area for visitors. In addition, the health centre will initially be equipped with the necessary medical equipment (chairs, tables, cabinets, medical equipment, pharmacy, etc.).

Construction period/construction supervision

November 2021 until April 2022

Our Nepalese architect Madhav Regmi and construction manager Ram Kumar Tamang will live in Gope during the construction period. Mr. Regmi has already very successfully supervised the construction of the health stations in Betang and Bhorle. He is a team player and the cooperation with Ram is excellent. Just like Ram Kumar Tamang, he is very familiar with the conditions and the people in the mountains. The two experts are again supported by civil engineer and founder of Gecotec e.V. Rolf C. Buschmann.

Sustainability

Several factors speak for the sustainability of the project:

• The local population has expressed support for the project publicly and in writing.
• The project site is officially owned by the community.
• The ongoing operation of the health centre and associated costs (including nurses’ salaries, supply of medicines, and maintenance costs) are covered by the national Ministry of Health. A local health committee will supervise the ongoing operation.
• The agency in the country executing the project, NHEFoN, has extensive construction experience and has already successfully built two similar health centres with the same architect.
• The executing agency NHEFoN and architect Madhav Regmi will be permanently on site during the entire construction phase (approx. 5 months).
• The plot brings good site conditions with it (sufficiently large, flat, water and electricity connection).
• The building is planned to be earthquake-proof.

DESWOS is on board again

A reliable partner

Deswos will participate with 40,000.00 € in the construction of the health station.

What the name of DESWOS stands for:

The “DESWOS German development assistance for social housing and settlement” registered association (DESWOS Deutsche Entwicklungshilfe für soziales Wohnungs- und Siedlungswesen e.V.) is a private non-profit association. It was founded on 11/17/1969. DESWOS is supported by memberships, donations and honorary engagement from the housing companies organized in the “GdW federal association of German housing and real estate companies” (GdW Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen) as well as from their further associations in conjunction with companies of other economic sectors and private individuals.

More information can be found at: https://deswos.de/

Thank you!

As so often in the past: it was only with your donations that all the successful projects could be implemented. They have concretely and tangibly improved the lives of the entire population.

If you would like to help again this time, we would be happy to receive donations.

Many thanks from the teams of

Gecotec e.V. Germany,
NEPAL Education & Health Switzerland and
NHEFoN Nepal