EK EK Paila launches telemedicine services for Dolpa’s remote village

KATHMANDU: EK EK Paila, an initiative of a group of volunteers, has begun telemedicine services for people residing in remote Dho Tarap, a village in Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality, Dolpa District. EK EK Paila aims to provide free health services to the people residing in the remote rural areas of Nepal. In 2019, Ek Ek Paila had provided health services in north-western Nepal's remote village Dho Tarap in collaboration with the local people. Apart from providing telemedicine services, this time Ek Ek Paila also plans on a Hepatitis B project in Dolpa to address the very high prevalence of the disease. President of EK EK Paila, Dr Suman S Thapa, said, "Though we have launched telemedicine services, it will effectively come into operation as soon as the local residents who have migrated to the lower altitude due to cold weather return." He expects the Hepatitis B project to be of great assistance as one in every five locals have been detected with the viral infection. Meanwhile, EK EK Paila is establishing a laboratory for a population of around 5,000 including others residing in the vicinity of Dho Tarap, Dr Thapa informed. He said the non-profit organisation has also planned to provide training to health assistants of Dho Tarap at their centre in Kathmandu. "As we are trying to provide medical consultation to this very remote village through telemedicine, we are aware that there is only one district-level pharmacy set up with the initiative of the government. So we also have plans to make medicines available in the near future," Dr Thapa shared. EK EK Paila came into existence following the mega earthquake of 2015, when a group of like-minded people came together to provide free health services in the affected areas. The organisation started its first ‘Paila’ or ‘Step’ on June 6, 2015, from Sindhupalchok district which was the most devastated region by the earthquake. So far, EK EK Paila has reached 19 destinations in remote areas of Nepal providing free health services to the people. READ ALSO:

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