This year: destination Kathmandu, Nepal for an increasing
number of European volunteer doctors armed to fight tooth decay
for brighter smiles all around

Peace Times 14

by Carmen Robustelli

The voluntary services of Italian doctors supporting the activities of the Himalayan Healing Centre Clinic in Nepal continue.

In 1999, ten doctors offered their professional services and spent periods of between two to four weeks at this medical centre in Kathmandu, initiated by Lama Gangchen. In particular, it is dentists who have the greatest working possibility in the clinic as they have at their use a fully equipped dental studio supported by a technical laboratory with ever improving facilities. However, 1999 also saw the presence of 4 eye specialists at the Centre, extremely useful considering the high percentage of eye problems in the country. These specialists will gradually have better opportunities to collaborate with the Centre, as the facilities are more widely publicised in the Kathmandu area. In this way, more local inhabitants will have the opportunity to take greater advantage of the services that are on offer.

For the year 2000 there are already seven bookings from doctors who will visit the centre in Kathmandu for the first time, but also from those who are returning for a second or third time.

Other good news: with thanks to the generous collaboration of various donors a container full of dental equipment, equipment to furnish an analysis laboratory, educational materials, carpentary tools, and second-hand clothes, is due to be shipped to Kathmandu. In this way, the Healing Centre will soon be equipped with a second dental studio and also with a fully working anaysis laboratory which will be able to cope with the needs of the local population.

Amongst the Italian donors, particular recognition goes to Dr Ivo Petkovsek of Gorizia (dentist) and Dr Umberto Spada of Sondrio (surgeon), who are also both interested in offering their help as volunteer doctors; Dr Giuseppe Roberto Pozzi of Meda (dentist), Dr Franco Baragetti of Osnago (dentist), Giovanni Gussoni of Milan (dental technician and a regular volunteer at the Healing Centre), Dawn Gavinelli of Milan and aso Dr Meneguzzo, person in charge of the shipping company Timat di Creazzo of Vicenza, who is taking care of the shipping of the container.

For information about voluntary work or for donations in aid of the Healing Centre in Kathmandu contact Carmen Robustelli at Kunpen Lama Gangchen Centre in Milan, Italy, Tel: +39 02 29010263. Or contact directly Mr Tamdin Lama in Nepal at the Himalayan Healing Centre Clinic, Arubari-Tinchule, G.P.O Box 2534, Kathmandu-Nepal. Tel: 009771 482514, Fax: 009771 470525, e-mail: hhcmedic@mail.com.np

The Himalayan Healing Centre is happy to report that its services for the health and welfare of the local population is continuing with an increasing flow of patients. In 1999, the Centre assisted 1,838 people with reproductive health problems, including contraceptive advice, counselling and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases; 2,951 people for the treatment of general health problems; 55 people for the tuberculosis «dots» program and 2,767 people were treated in the dental studio!