On March 10, 2023, a workshop was held in Nepalgunj at Hotel Kalpatru, organized by Dr. Avinash Chandra, Roshan K.C., and JCI Nepalgunj. The workshop was attended by 70 participants, mostly residents, medical officers, and senior consultants from institutions like Bheri Hospital and Nepalganj Medical College.
The workshop covered a range of important topics related to stroke care. Dr. Christine Tunkl gave an introduction and overview of the Nepal Stroke Project, while Dr. Avinash Chandra spoke about small vessel disease. Christine gave a short guidance on becoming a stroke-ready hospital, including what activities are recommended and the importance of building a team.
During the assessment and discussion round, participants raised concerns about the lack of thrombolysis in Bheri and Medical College. The reasons for this included patients coming out of the time window, inability to afford medication, medication unavailability, and a lack of practice in giving thrombolysis. Additionally, there was no stroke unit due to the lack of human and financial resources, and patients often came in late with complications such as sepsis. Nepalganj Medical College serves a catchment area that covers almost all of Western Nepal.
Despite these challenges, NMC is striving to become a stroke center and serve as a hub for the whole region. They also aim to build a strong network with smaller district hospitals in the future and become a role model for stroke care in Nepal.
This workshop was an impressive display of the young, motivated, and enthusiastic team in Nepalgunj. With the right support, there is no doubt that they can become a role model for stroke care in Nepal. We wish them all the best and are here to support them in any way we can.
