Stroke symposium by hospital partners in Nepal
The author of the article, Christine Tunkl, is project manager of the Nepal Stroke Project. Here she describes her personal impressions of a stroke symposium in Nepal. More information about the hospital partnership Nepal Stroke Project can be found at nepalstrokeproject.org (Nepal Stroke Project) and on our homepage.
"That is a special event, because we as participants have the chance to share our experiences" - this is how Dr Bhupendra Shah, one of the Nepalese clinic partners, set the motto for the two days:
Stroke: The second highest cause of death in Nepal
As part of the hospital partnerships between Heidelberg University's Department of Neurology and five Kathmandu hospitals, a two-day interactive symposium on stroke was held on February 17th and 18th for doctors and nurses from the partner hospitals in Nepal.
In Nepal, strokes are the second leading cause of death and permanent disability. Yet hospital staff are often not adequately trained to provide appropriate stroke care, and few people have access to adequate treatment. To address this challenge, the hospital partnerships have involved five partner hospitals in Kathmandu and ten "satellite hospitals" outside Kathmandu in a training program since 2021.
Over 70 doctors and nurses from 15 clinics in Nepal
The two-day symposium went beyond just gaining knowledge and aimed to raise awareness, motivate, inspire, and network on stroke care. The participation of 70 physicians and nurses from 15 different hospitals underscores the immense importance of this project and highlights the palpable hope and energy that has emerged in the field of stroke care in Nepal.
The program included hands-on training in Quality Monitoring, technical presentations by national and international stroke experts, and a workshop to jointly develop goals for the hospitals. Of particular note was the presentation by all participating hospitals on their progress and current challenges in implementing the project goals.
Great international interest and visitors
The two-day event was rounded off with speeches by guests of honor from the World Stroke Organization, WHO, the Nepalese Ministry of Health, the German Embassy and the hospital partnerships.
The symposium was a great success for all of us and showed that much can be achieved within one year through the exchange of knowledge and experience within the hospital partnerships. Nevertheless, we also realized: This is only the beginning, we must continue to focus on stroke care and strive to consolidate the knowledge in the regions outside Kathmandu and make it accessible to the population.