HEALTH AND SANITATION
Over 1.6 million people living in Rupandehi and Kapilvastu districts have no access to adequate, affordable health care. In many cases, the nearest medical facility is too distant and ill-equipped to attend to medical emergencies.
LSSF is taking both preventative and action-oriented approaches to improve the health and sanitation of the Lumbini area.
EDUCATION
LSSF is addressing healthcare disparities through health education and awareness campaigns in community schools and village gatherings.
At our institutes, students learn about basic health and hygiene, such as the importance of washing hands before eating, how diseases are born from contaminated drinking water, the basic cleanliness of drinking water, and basic health problems such as diarrhea and dysentery.
They are also taught about nutrition and how to stay to healthy. They are given information on vitamins and proteins, and their locally available sources. At Karuna Girl’s College, additional curriculum on women’s health is included, such as pregnancy, child birth, maternal and infant health, sexually transmitted diseases, and the role of sanitation and cleanliness in preventing birthing and infant deaths.
HEALTH CAMPS
LSSF organizes health camps in rural areas where villagers have no access to medical attention.
These include vision, general health, and women’s health camps. Thanks to the generous support of the Lumbini Thai Temple, Canadian Engaged Buddhism Association, Medical Mercy Canada, Anatta World Health, and Youth Eye Service Kathamndu, every year, approximately 100 villagers are able to have cataract surgery. At each general health camp, 400-800 villagers per day are given the individual attention of a health practitioner. Patients also receive the medications they need to treat their ailments, and those with serious conditions are referred to specialists at the nearest hospitals.
WATER
Contaminated drinking water is one of the greatest contributors to poor health and disease in Lumbini villages.
In collaboration with our partners Sell-for-Well, LSSF has been drilling deep ground water pumps in rural communities to provide safe drinking water. So far, over 30 water pumps have been drilled that are serving more than 10 villages around Lumbini.
COMPREHENSIVE RURAL HEALTH
To further address critical healthcare issues in the Lumbini area, LSSF is working to develop an integrative and comprehensive rural health care system.
LSSF envisions the creation of a new hospital, a nursing and midwifery school, and a subsidized insurance system.
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