Donations can be made through GoFundMe (click here) or by selecting "CEBA" from the drop-down menu on OCV's CanadaHelps page (click here)
As many of you have been hearing in the news these past days, the COVID situation in India is at crisis level. Sadly, this is having a proportionately equal effect on Nepal, as they share a border and many families have members in both countries, and borders are near impossible to close down.
We have received word from our Lumbini family (just 7 miles from the India border) that the current situation there is extremely difficult. COVID numbers this week are 137% higher in Nepal than just last week. Healthcare facilities countrywide are stretched beyond capacity and are unable to take new patients. Lifesaving medical equipment is unavailable.
Our Lumbini team in conjunction with the local municipality has converted a hotel into a Covid hospital to help provide more treatment facilities for the burdened healthcare system.
Most critical is the desperate need for oxygen.
Currently Lumbini has only 18 oxygen cylinders; this needs to increase to at least 50 to match the level of positive Covid-19 cases occurring.
A full Oxygen Set Up includes (USD):
One 48-liter Oxygen (O2) Cylinder $170
One set O2 Regulator + O2 Facemask $ 70
One Oxygen pulse meter (pulse oximeter) $ 25
TOTAL SET UP COST $265 ($325CAD)
With this set up they can refill the empty cylinder for $10
Canadian Engaged Buddhism's Association (CEBA) and partner One Child's Village (OCV) are reaching out to all our friends, family, and long-time supporters for any assistance you can offer at this time to raise funds for as many OXYGEN SET UPs as possible. Your help is also appreciated in sharing this GoFundMe campaign far and wide on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Email, LinkedIn, etc.
Please know the funds go directly to our team in Lumbini so that as many supplies as possible will be purchased directly with your donations.
We will be updating you regularly on the situation.
Thank you as always for your generous support, even as we navigate our own challenges here.
May you continue to stay safe and healthy.
OCV and CEBA
Bodhi, Todd and our teams!
Donations can be made through GoFundMe (click here) or by selecting "CEBA" from the drop-down menu on OCV's CanadaHelps page (click here)
Updates
May 26, 2021
Dear Friends -
Through the international cooperation of so many dedicated humans so far we have been able to help in the following ways:
Five 10L/minute Dual patient and two 7 L/Minute single patient O2 concentrators have been delivered to Kapilavastu Hospital
One 5L/min single patient capacity O2 concentrator to Lumbini Covid Centre
Five more 5-7 L/minute single patient O2 concentrators arrived in Lumbini today to be distributed to Kapilvastu and Bhairahawa hospitals
Lumbini team is working on 10 more machines from China and 10 more from Singapore but these are facing some shipping obstacles.
We continue to procure and supply hospital beds (20), Food, Water, medicine, venticare masks and PPE (sanitizer, full PPE suits, face masks, face shields and gloves) to the hospitals and the armed forces security teams
Many thanks to all who helped make this possible!
An update on the general situation in Nepal:
Covid deaths remain in the hundreds per day.
New Daily Covid Cases is now the highest in Nepal compared globally
There is still an extreme shortage of O2
Nearly 100% of critical care patients do not recover
There has been no vaccines in the country yet since the initial 2 million first doses approx 3 months ago. No sign of second doses, let alone more first doses for the remaining 30 million population.
The federal government remains dissolved at this time, the parties are trying to formulate a majority government and present it to the President.
There has been federal Task Group set up to help to get vaccines to Nepal.
May 12, 2021
Thank you to everyone who has donated to or shared this fundraiser with your networks, you're angels/bodhisattvas!
-Our main focus remains on Oxygen. We have purchased 4 oxygen concentrators, so far. We are placing an order for 20 more with a cost of $800 each (includes transport to Lumbini/Kapilvastu) and appreciate any donations for these.
- Officially reported deaths in the country today 225. However most deaths occurring at homes are not reported, and even at overwhelmed hospitals the deaths aren't captured because paperwork is a low priority.
-We are going to dedicate some funds to start a local campaign in Lumbini province which we believe will encourage local government, residents and businesses to pool resources and purchase an Oxygen Plant to be installed in Kapilvastu hospital ($70,000 USD)
-The official oxygen tank need in Nepal is 15,000 of the large 49 -litre- tanks per day but the country's capacity sits at 7200.
-We have secured the ability to refill 40 cylinders (per 100 km round trip) at an oxygen plant in Butwal (Tansen) for the Kapilvastu Hospital. In addition to paying for the tank refills we've hired dedicated transport vehicle, driver and labourer to load and unload to keep the supply moving.
-Concentrators will work for patients who are not critical, but the tanks are necessary for the patients in ICU.
-We are sourcing beds ($175 apiece) with the capacity to raise Covid patients upright to help ease difficulty breathing.
-Current patient numbers in Lumbini region are 190 critical patients needing oxygen cylinders, 40 on ventilators and 70 in ICU with high oxygen needs.
-National news outlets in Nepal are now sharing the dire situation of the COVID pandemic in our region.
The Guardian picked up a story of the pandemic in Nepal and can be accessed at this address:
https://www.theguardian.com/.../may/10/nepal-covid-uk-g7 (A call to the friends of Nepal all over the world to be the "Sherpa" for Nepal during the time of our critical need. An appeal to the international community from the Right Honourable Prime Minister: "Our sherpas are known for sharing their oxygen with struggling climbers at high altitude. Today, Covid-19 is leaving our country breathless and so we are looking for the “sherpas” of the international community."
May 11, 2021
Thank you so much for your generous donations so far, your kindness is helping so much!!
The situation worsens. Ambulances are non-existant; patients are transported by family any means possible including piggy backs. The Central Government (Federal) has toppled due to a vote of non-confidence of the PM. Provincial governments are left to their own limited resources and capabilities.
As a backup to our oxygen cylinder refill program, we are working on finding more reliable sources for oxygen. We are sourcing Oxygen concentrators deliverable quickly to our Lumbini team. These are costly: 10L/min size for critical COVID patient treatment is around $700 USD. The smaller size for less critical patients is around $470 USD.
We are hoping to procure two of the larger units for the Kapilavastu Hospital and four of the smaller units for back up. Looks like our first one has arrived today!!
Anyone able/willing to sponsor one of these machines would be a life-saver!
May 10, 2021
Please read this update from Venerable Metteyya who is on the ground in Lumbini:
Kapilvastu Covid Hospital Update
Dear Ones,
Yesterday, we were swamped with the logistics of trying to put together a suitable response to the unimaginable chaos and tragedy at the Covid Hospital in Kapilvastu District so we couldn’t share much update.
The situation at the hospital was very harrowing with suffering patients laying allover the place and doctors struggling to provide critical care on the floors. I have never been to a war situation but it felt like a war-hospital. With deep gratitude to the doctors, we were able to provide 250 Covid-19 VTM test kits, 25 Protective suits, 5 Litres of Sanitizer, 2000 Face masks and 1600 bottles of clean drinking water. We were also able to leave enough funds to continue uninterrupted supply of 02 delivery to the hospital.
More details of the hospital and our next steps are below:
The hospital is Kapilvastu had set up a 15 bed Covid-19 Hospital last year which was overfilled with critical patients as soon as the second wave started here about 10 days ago. Apart from the Covid-19 facility, the hospital is also the only District Level Government Hospital and provides health services to over a half a million (2011) (closer to a million unofficially) population, ranging from maternity to emergency care. As the overall systems was swamped, the main hospital was flooded with patients in critical need of oxygen and care. With very limited resources and equipment, the hospital is serving about 70-90 covid-19 critical patients as well as trying to run other emergency medical services. There are still mothers delivering babies and patients in ICU units needing 24-hour supervision. There is only 1 government appointed doctor and few nurses. But we are glad to see that they Doctor and hospital team have done a phenomenal work and have recruited MD interns to serve as doctors which is a life saver. So, as we can imagine, every single space and system is being used to the maximum. All the hospital beds are occupied and over 20 to 30 patients are being treated on the floor. The doctors and nurses are working day and night to do what they can. But it’s a jarring site to behold. They are trying their best to keep the deaths at minimum and the average is about 1-3 patients daily.
After discussion with the chief doctors and the management as well as the consultation with the Chief District officer who is in-charge of all the crisis management in the district. We found that there are three areas where we can support the incredible work being done by the doctors:
1. Continuity of managing the transportation logistics of 35 to 50 Oxygen cylinders every day for the critical patients
2. Provide clean and safe drinking water for the doctors, patients and families: the hospital is crowded beyond its limit and there is critical need for clean drinking water for the hospital. Right now, everyone is sharing two water taps which we fear is helping spread virus.
3. Start a Food Kitchen to provide meals for about 200 people at the Hospital
As the doctors are working almost 24 hours, they don’t have time to go to their families for meals. Also, as there is curfew like severe lockdown, they don’t have restaurants for meals for the families. So we are looking into starting to upgrade a small Hospital canteen to a Soup Kitchen.
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