Interaction Programme on Diaspora and Development
London:
“I was able to run a training on mental health for health workers from remote
areas of Nepal and also able to get Centre for Mental Health and Counselling
Nepal involve in the training which was highly appreciate by the
participants,’ said Dr. Chuda Karki speaking to the participants of at an
interaction programme at Ealing Broadway on Saturday, 28 November. The
discussion programme was organised by Connect for Change and Nepalis Doctors
Association UK in partnership with Himalayan Development International (HDI)
which has been established to work for the collective benefit of Nepalis
living in the UK and Nepal.
“I was also able
to give a talk on learning disability to doctors from the Institute of
Medicine, meet up with the parents of children with learning disability at
Navajyoti Kendra and answer their queries,” added Dr. Karki. “I have realised
that we have so much to offer to our people and nation by taking up
volunteering placements”.
Similarly, Dr.
Arun Kumar Jha also shared his experience of training Nepalis doctors on
providing health care to the elderly and people with dementia and memory
problems. “These are the areas where Nepal needs support and we have been
giving that support by taking time to become a volunteer,” said Dr. Jha
sharing his experience of running memory and mental health training workshops
for doctors and community health workers in Nepal.
“We have plans
to develop more substantial programmes to share our skills and expertise with
out Nepalis colleagues,” he added that “together with his colleagues Dr.
Prasanna Gautam and Dr. Shambhu Nath Adhikaree they have already organised
three three training programme on healthy ageing for Nepalis doctors and
social carers in Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Nepalganj.
On the occasion
Ajita Simkhada and Indira Basyal, two Nepalis nurses currently working in
National Health Service (NHS) in the UK also shared their experience of
working as a volunteer in Nepal.
“We had not
imagined that it would be so motivating,” they said. “These days we talk
about the programme wherever we go”.
The interaction
programme was divided into two sessions. First session of the programme was
chaired by Dr. Karki which witnessed the presentations from Dr. Jha and Indira
Basyal. The second session which started after lunch was chaired by Dr. Jha.
In this session Dr. Karki and Ajita Simkhada shared their volunteering
experiences.
The highlight of
the interaction programme, however, was the group discussion on mental health
needs in Nepal and memory problems amongst Nepalis elderly population.The
first group discussed about mental health problems amongst Nepalis in the UK,
whether there was a National Mental Health Policy in Nepal, and how can the
Nepalis in the UK contribute to Nepalis mental health services. Similarly,
second group discussed about common health problems among the elderly, how
common was memory problem among the elderly population and whether there was
any dementia service in Nepal and how they can contribute to it.
Representatives from each group later shared their findings.
There were 50
participants who came from diverse backgrounds including the president and
office bearers of NRN UK, Association of Nepalis Nurses in the UK, VSO,
student association and the journalists.
__________________________________