The Siddhi Memorial Hospital has general wards in their hospital plus a operating theatre, a radiology and a pathology department. They have out-patient services in: gynaecology, diagnostic services, immunization, 24 hour emergency support, paediatric services, obstetrics, clinical pathology and ambulance retrieval with referrals to larger hospitals when necessary.
In addition, the Siddhi Memorial Hospital also conducts outreach programs or health camps in surrounding communities where they provide medical services and public health seminars. The programs that are offered in the outreach programs include: HIV/AIDS awareness and testing, family planning workshops, education about the importance of nutrition, diet and hygiene and a harm reduction program for intravenous drug users. The hospital staff also attend to the medical needs of the residents in the Siddhi Shaligram Briddhashram Elderly Home.
The Siddhi Memorial Hospital needs volunteers in all departments and all levels of education to help reduce the heavy workload on the dedicated staff. Volunteers responsibilities will depend on their qualifications and experience. Pre-med student volunteers should have a keen desire to assist and flexibility in the numerous duties is a essential component. Knowledge of general health and hygiene, family planning, first-aid and specific knowledge regarding all aspects in the social and medical care of people with HIV/AIDS would be very beneficial.
A pre-med student volunteer may be asked to assist in many different avenues of approach to medical care. Be it: patient intake, neonatal care, counselling, educational services, administrative duties etc.
They are looking for pre-med student volunteers with a keen interest in health care, who are willing to take on various tasks as required. While a background in medicine is not required, a positive attitude and a willingness to be flexible in how their time is used is a requirement for any volunteers at this placement. Any pre-med student volunteers looking to increase their knowledge in the medical field would obtain a vast amount of experience towards their future endeavours at this placement.
A pre-med student volunteer may be asked to reorganize or update patient filing systems, check pass medical files to note if any follow-ups are required and/or assist in general administration office duties,( eg. making photocopies of records, restocking of office supplies, updating current office data etc.)
A pre-med student volunteer may be asked to work in the pathology department where they would learn a great deal about infections and diseases prevalent in Nepal.
Some pre-med student volunteers may be asked to assist staff in the counselling of ante-natal care or for patients with HIV/AIDS. The staff will select only volunteers with whom they are confident can be given this responsibility.
A pre-med student volunteer may be asked to assist with the intake information of patients -- working to provide a preliminary account for the visit which may include: medical update -- past and current medical data, such as the weight, height and temperature of patients as well as perhaps their emotional status if necessary.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing quality healthcare services to members in and around the Bhaktapur community. Their mandate is to try and increase medical accessibility and services to marginalized women, children and the elderly due to the lack of medical care available for these demographics.
All programs that are organized and implemented through the Siddhi Memorial Foundation are designed to provide sustainable health care initiatives that include educational programs that focus on prevention and provide free essential services.
In Nepal, many individuals do not have access to basic medical services and as a result do not receive the medical attention that they require. The Siddhi Memorial Foundation was created in 1993, after a four year-old boy named Siddhi Sundar Dhaubhadel was hit by a car on his way home from school. Siddhi required immediate medical attention, however, due to the inadequate medical facility located in his community he had to be rushed to a hospital in Kathmandu, 20 kilometres away. On the way to the hospital in Kathmandu, Siddhi`s condition worsened and due to heavy traffic, the distance and no immediate medical attention he died on his way to the hospital. His parents were devastated at the loss of their son and decided to create the Siddhi Memorial Foundation in loving memory of Siddhi. Since the creation of the Siddhi Memorial Foundation both Mr. and Mrs Dhaubhadel have dedicate their lives to improving accessibility and healthcare services to the members of the Bhaktapur community.
In October 1993, the Siddhi Memorial Foundation was created as a non-governmental, non-profit, charitable organization. The registration of this organization caused a wave of support from not only the Bhaktapur community but throughout Nepal. The overwhelming support and outcry for improved medical services confirmed to Mr. and Mrs. Dhaubhadel the need for a larger medical establishment in their area. Mr. and Mrs. Dhaubhadel decided that the first project that the Siddhi Memorial Foundation would conduct was the construction of a large hospital that helped to provide assistance to marginalized women and children, as well as members in the surrounding areas. In 1994 they received a donation of 4000 square meters of land and by 1997 they had completed the first section of the hospital and thus the Siddhi Memorial Hospital was opened.
In 2003, the Siddhi Memorial Foundation started to integrate support programs for the elderly as part of their core services. The reason the members of the Siddhi Memorial Foundation decided to add programs for the elderly was because many people in this demographic are not able to receive adequate health care services, adequate housing or personal support. The centre provides 24 hour residential care, medical attention, counselling, and activities promoting socialization.
Establishing a new hospital and an old age facility in the Bhaktapur community allows the members of the Siddhi Memorial Foundation to start addressing some of the health challenges that currently exist in Nepal. Most hospitals in Nepal are located in urban centres and are the hospitals that provide the most services and usually employ the doctors and nurses with the most skill and diverse backgrounds. Communities like Bhaktapur usually have a medical centre that is often under-staffed, is short on essential resources such as equipment, medicine and vaccination serums and often unable to treat severe cases or perform complex surgeries. As a result, many people are not able to be examined on a regular basis or at all, due to the shortage of qualified staff and resources. By creating the Siddhi Memorial Foundation the members are uniting to try and increase the accessibility to health care.
Another social challenge that the Siddhi Memorial Foundation is trying to address is the preventable deaths of both mother and child during pregnancy. One of the reasons that the Siddhi Memorial Foundation has included this objective into their mandate is because it is a global issue that effects millions of women and children around the world each year. According to UNICEF, almost 50 million mothers each year, in the developing world give birth without medical assistance and almost 8.8 million children die from preventable diseases before the age of 5. In Nepal, 41 children die at birth out of a 1000 and 51 out of a 1000 die under the age of 5. Many of these deaths could be prevented if health care was more affordable, accessible and reliable.
In 2009, according to the United Nations Human Development Index, Nepal was ranked the lowest among the South Asian countries for life expectancy at birth. Women throughout Nepal, especially in remote villages do not have access to pre-natal or post-natal care. Not only are they located in areas where medical hospitals do not exist, many women can not afford the transportation fees to get to a hospital let alone the service fees. In remote regions like, Achham district of western Nepal, more than 95% of women give birth at home. Many women in these communities are scared of the complications that may occur during both the pregnancy and the delivery, however, most of the women in this area are unable to make the 14 day walk to the nearest hospital.
This challenge is seen as a national health issue and is trying to be tackled by a number of government agencies such as, the Ministry of Health. One way that the Ministry of Health has tried to address the high percentage of women who give birth at home instead of at the hospital was by launching an incentive program where the government would pay Nepali women who live in remote communities to have their babies delivered in a hospital. The development of incentive programs like this increased the demand on organizations like Siddhi Memorial Foundation to continue to provide quality services to the growing number of patients.
In Nepal, mortality among children is not only high at birth but also for children under the age of 5. According to UNICEF over 50,000 children die each year in Nepal from malnutrition and diarrhoea, both of which are preventable. Organizations like the Siddhi Memorial Foundation are important to help address the above issues by making it possible for more Nepali women and children to receive health care and provide educational seminars on topics like the importance of nutrition and how to stop diarrhoea.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is not only helping to address health issues related to maternity but also global issues in health care such as: sanitation, increased accessibility to health services, increased preventative campaigns and increased awareness about nutrition. With growing support from donors and volunteers Siddhi Memorial Foundation, is able to diversify the issues in health care that they are working to improve.
Siddhi Memorial Foundation offers the following programs through the Siddhi Memorial Hospital: out-patient services in gynaecology, diagnostic services, immunization, 24 hour emergency support, paediatric services, obstetrics, clinical pathology and ambulance retrieval with referrals to larger hospitals when necessary. In addition, the Siddhi Memorial Hospital also conducts outreach programs or health camps in surrounding communities where they provide medical services and public health seminars. The programs that are offered in the outreach programs include: HIV/AIDS awareness and testing, family planning workshops, education about the importance of nutrition, diet and hygiene and a harm reduction program for intravenous drug users.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation has accomplished a number of goals since its conception in 1993. They have done the following: built the Siddhi Memorial Hospital, built the Siddhi Shaligram Briddhashram elderly home, built Bhaktapur's first children's playground and have created and implemented a community health outreach program. They have conducted a number of research projects that include: an acute Diarrhoea and Pneumonia Research Project and a Women's Micro Nutrition Research Project. They have organized HIV/AIDS educational campaigns and have started a scholarship program that has already sponsored nine doctors, fifteen registered nurses, two community medical assistants, one community health worker, one dental assistant and one laboratory assistant.
In addition, the members of the Siddhi Memorial Foundation have been very successful in improving the quality of water in and around the Bhakapur community. In 2001, they implemented the clean water project which consisted of a water treatment plant that provides clean water to the hospital and its surrounding communities. This project's goal was to reduce the health problems stemming directly from the poor quality of available water in the vicinity of the hospital.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation was founded in 1993 by Mr. Shyam Sundar Dhaubhadel and Mrs. Ranjana Dhaubhadel, in loving memory of their late son Siddhi Sundar Dhaubhadel, who died at four and half years of age, in a road traffic accident, in October 1993. Mr.& Mrs. Dhaubhadel, established Siddhi Memorial Foundation,(SMF), initially to provide healthcare services to marginalized women and children through the establishment of the Siddhi Memorial Health Service Center in Barahi Peeth, Bhaktapur. Having felt the dire need and overwhelming popularity of the clinic, they were inspired to set up a hospital for women and children. Consequently in 1997, with help from their family and many private donors and institutions in Nepal and abroad, they established the Siddhi Memorial Hospital, ( SMF ), at Bhimsensthan Bhaktapur, to provide sustainable healthcare to underprivileged women and children.
Siddhi Memorial Foundation was created to serve the community members in and around the community of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is an ancient Newar town located in the east side of the Kathmandu Valley in a region known as the Bagmati zone. Bhaktapur is the third largest city in Nepal with approximately 61,000 people residing within the city. The reason why this community is in need of the services that the Siddhi Memorial Foundation provides is because of the large population in and around the city of Bhaktapur and the limited resources available to them.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is dedicated to providing health support to women, children and the elderly who are economically disadvantaged. Women, children and the elderly were deeply affected by the political turmoil that the plagued the country in the late 1990s. Through this conflict many women, children and the elderly were unable to access education, health care, adequate shelter or food. As a result, members of these groups are often marginalized and are at socio-economic disadvantage. As a result they often are not able to seek the medical attention they need to led a healthy lifestyle. The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is dedicated to improving access to health care for all women, children and the elderly in and around Bhakapur.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is entirely funded by individual donations from both Nepali and international sponsors. The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is constantly trying to secure more funds by writing funding proposals, creating fundraisers and approaching private donors.
Ideally, the members of the Siddhi Memorial Foundation would like to be self-sustainable. In order to achieve this goal the Siddhi Memorial Foundation has created an endowment fund. Money that is donated into this fund will be saved and the interest that is made each day will be used to pay for the day-to-day operations of the organization.
The Siddhi Memorial Foundation is in need of a number of different items and would be grateful for any of the following: diapers (children and adult sizes), band-aids, disinfectant creams, anatomy books, thermometers, stethoscopes, gauze, large band-aids, crutches, wheelchairs, adhesive tape, antiseptic creams, soap, gloves, hydrogen peroxide, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, tweezers, calamine lotion, alcohol wipes, surgical masks, scrubs, blankets, pillows and vitamins.
Siddhi Memorial Hospital is situated by the river side. The hospital consists of five separate buildings. Near the entrance they have emergency room with oxygen, and around five beds. They have O.P.D., pharmacy and administration in one building. In another building they have a pathology department, doctors room and projects room with three different floors. They have general wards, personal cabin, X-ray department and nursing room in another building. And there is on old age home and kitchen in another.
They have a parking area and a small playground for children.
They already have permits to do operations and there is already an established operation theater as well.
From the BaseCamp house in the Naya Bazaar district of Kathmandu, walk five minutes to Sorakhuttay and catch a micro bus to Purano Bus Park. Catch a bus to Banepa or Dhulikhel, and get off at Adharsa. From there walk three minutes north and you will see a board for the hospital, you will see the Siddhi Memorial Hospital shortly after that.
Distance from BaseCamp: 15 km
Travel Time from BaseCamp: 1:10
This region consists of sub-tropical, temperate and cool-temperate climatic conditions which influence the weather of Bhaktapur. The temperature here ranges from an average maximum of 23.8 degree Celsius and a minimum of 11.7 degree Celsius. The average rainfall here is 1362.2 ml. The Bhaktapur district consists of one municipality and twenty-one village development committees.
Bhaktapur is a UNESCO World Heritage city and one of Nepal's greatest treasures. Over half of the residents are farmers in this rural, at heart, urban center. Only 15km away from busy Kathmandu, and still within the safety of the Kathmandu Valley this area is peaceful yet busy at the same time.
There are no modern buildings in this traditional Newari city which feels trapped in time. Russet brick houses with elaborate wooden carved windows, cobble stoned streets, squares and courtyards lined with pagodas and temples, open fronted shops with outdoor markets, pottery square and the constant chimes of traditional music give Bhaktapur a very authentic and historic feeling.
Siddhi Memorial Hospital
Adarsha
Bhaktapur
TEL 1: 6610570
TEL 2: 6612945
SIDDHI MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
Po Box 40
Bhaktapur
Nepal
All of our volunteers begin their stay in Nepal at our BaseCamp Center in Kathmandu. Given that this placement is less than a 1 hour and 15 minute commute from BaseCamp, volunteers working here will have the option of living with us at BaseCamp or living with a host family.
The following information outlines a brief description of life at BaseCamp and also what someone can expect living with a host family in Nepal. Once you have completed our application, you can let our staff know if you would prefer to live with a host family. Otherwise, your application will default to having you live with us at BaseCamp.
If you have any questions about the difference between life at BaseCamp or life with a host family in Nepal you can always give us a call or send us an email. Our contact details are listed in the footer of every page of the site.
Uttam Chowk, Ekikaran Road
Ward No 16
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: (977) 1-438-9397
Mobile: (977) 980-314-1173
BaseCamp Nepal is located in the Naya Bazaar district of Kathmandu just a few minutes walk from the popular backpacker district of Thamel. We are situated in a beautiful four story building, with nine rooms and a capacity for almost forty guests. Each level of the house has four balconies, plus the hostel has two roof top patios. Pillows, sheets and blankets are provided.
The second and third floor of the hostel each have a spacious common area. The kitchen and large dining room are on the fourth floor. A fire pit and plenty of seating make the roof top patio a favourite gathering spot. Great for viewing the rising or setting sun, planning your next adventure or relaxing with a cup of chiyaa.
Back on the ground, there is an organic community garden in our courtyard in which interested guests are always welcome to help tend. Wireless internet access is available throughout the house, making it easy to stay in touch with friends and family back home.
The meal plan at BaseCamp is a 14 day rotation of various dishes from around Nepal. The idea behind our plan is that volunteers will familiarize themselves with local dishes and meal table etiquette before moving on to a host family. For the volunteers who stay in BaseCamp throughout their program, the meal plan offers a diverse and authentic diet.
BaseCamp Nepal is also where language training and orientation workshops take place. We have a classroom area for the more formal parts of our orientation and each day we will visit various parts of Kathmandu as volunteers become familiar with life in Nepal.
Living with a host family in Nepal is a fantastic way to gain a deep understanding of and appreciation for the people and customs of the country. Each home-stay will provide a bed and three meals per day for our volunteers. The majority of host families offer private rooms with only one or two volunteers living with the family.
Living with a host family can greatly enhance your performance at your placement. For one, it will have a huge influence on the speed with which you gain familiarity with the local language. This, along with your deeper understanding of cultural practices and beliefs that you are likely to gain in this environment, can go a long way to improving or strengthening your relationships with your team mates at work. Furthermore, a significant percentage of our host families are closely affiliated with the organizations with which our volunteers work. As such, even the evening meal or hanging out around the house can become valuable time during which volunteers can share their ideas and continue their support of their host organization.
All of this being said, living with a host family is not for everyone. It is very important for volunteers to honor the house rules in their host family and to be punctual. Also, depending on how remote your placement location, host families can be very rustic. Our staff in country can give you a better idea of what exactly you can expect from a host family in any particular community. However, in general, if these things sound like they might pose a challenge for you, we strongly suggest that you look at a placement within commuting distance from BaseCamp Nepal.
Our program structure and costing is completely flexible which lets our volunteers ensure that they only pay for exactly the degree of support that they want.
Some volunteers prefer to coordinate their own accommodation, meals and other support while overseas.
Anyone is welcome to use our volunteer placement search tool to help in finding a placement that is well suited to their interests. Once someone finds a placement that they wish to work with, they are welcome to make all the rest of their arrangmeents on their own.
As well, our team of staff overseas are often able to offer a few helpful pointers for volunteers 'doing it on their own'. Just send us an email with your questions and we will put you in touch with our team abroad. We only ask that you keep your requests fairly general, as this type of advice is exactly how our team earn their living. :)
Other volunteers would like assistance in selecting and confirming their placement, but they plan to manage their own accommodation and other expenses on their own.
These volunteers have the option of choosing to only have our assistance with selecting and confirming their placement. This option also includes ongoing placement support while abroad, so a volunteer would be able to ask our team for help if things at their placement were not working out.
In providing Placement Support, our team works with each volunteer through email, telephone and either Skype or Google Hangouts, to ensure that each volunteer has a clear understanding of their placement options. Our in-country staff will put together a custom list of placement options for each volunteer that they believe are the most appropriate matches with the volunteer's background, skills and interests. Then each volunteer can work with our team both in Canada and abroad to go through each of the options and narrow-down their selection.
For most volunteers who are volunteering for less than a year, they are looking for an option that includes their accommodation, meals, airport reception, country and program orientation and placement support. This is what our Program Fees are designed for.
We are proud of how over the years we have ensured that our program fees are amoungst the most reasonable of any program in the world while we continue to provide exceptional volunteer support both at home and abroad.
Our Program Fees and listings of what these do and do not include are listed below:
| Registration Fee | 250 |
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| 1 Week | 295 |
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| 2 Weeks | 400 |
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| 3 Weeks | 505 |
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| 4 Weeks | 610 |
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| 5 Weeks | 715 |
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| 6 Weeks | 820 |
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| 7 Weeks | 925 |
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| 8 Weeks | 1,030 |
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| Additional Weeks | 95 |
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| All program fees are listed in US Dollars. | |||
In some cases, a placement will have to take on certain expenses in order to host a volunteer. For example, some medical internship placements take time away from paid medical staff to help with educational assistance. This has a cost that is compensated by a placement fee. In other cases, the organization may have to pay for additional equipment, energy consumption or other expense in order to put a volunteer to work.
In such cases, the organizaiton charges a fee. This fee is paid directly to the organization in cash on the ground.
One of the reasons that we keep this fee separate is so that volunteers who do not pay us for accommodation, meals etc (Program Fees), will see that they will still have to make this payment directly to the organizaiton upon their arrival.
The placement fee for this organization is: 150 USD
Our regularly scheduled program start dates are the first Friday of each month, every month of the year. We strongly recommend beginning your program on one of these dates as this will allow you to go through our orientation alongside other international volunteers.
If you would prefer, our application will also allow you to select a custom start date for your program. Keep in mind that there is an additional fee for a custom start date which ranges from 50 to 75 USD.
| Nov 01, 2019 | Dec 06, 2019 | Jan 03, 2020 |
| Feb 07, 2020 | Mar 06, 2020 | Apr 03, 2020 |
| May 01, 2020 | Jun 05, 2020 | Jul 03, 2020 |
| Aug 07, 2020 | Sep 04, 2020 | Oct 02, 2020 |
| Nov 06, 2020 | Dec 04, 2020 | Jan 01, 2021 |
| Feb 05, 2021 | Mar 05, 2021 | Apr 02, 2021 |
| May 07, 2021 | Jun 04, 2021 | Jul 02, 2021 |
| Aug 06, 2021 | Sep 03, 2021 | Oct 01, 2021 |
These dates are the day that volunteers should plan to arrive on the ground in country. We can accommodate arrivals in-country at any time day or night on these dates.
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