(P2-30) Development of Disaster and Emergency Medicine in Nepal

Abstract

Nepal, a landlocked country between China and India, is developing disaster and emergency medicine. In 2007, the Nepal Disaster and Emergency Medicine (NADEM) Center was formed with the aim of developing this specialty in Nepal. The first hospital was built in July 1889. It wasn't until 1988 that a Disaster Response Team was organized following a stampede incident in the national stadium in Kathmandu. The country often experiences disaster and emergency situations due to geographic and natural hazards and political tensions.

In 1984, the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital created emergency services with general practitioners (GPs) directing and providing services. Since then, almost all emergency services of different hospitals are run by GPs with house officers, nurses, and paramedics. There still is a lack of training and proper management, and limited equipment and infrastructure to provide needed disaster and emergency services to the people. The NADEM Center is developing coordination objectives between different emergency service providers to organize ways of service providing. This will be done through NADEM's continuing medical education and publication of Journal of Nepal Disaster and Emergency Medicine (J-NADEM) and NewsHealth; coordination among emergency medical services (prehospital), in-hospital services, and disaster and critical care medicine; and planning and implementation of different research, training, workshops, seminars, and conferences in disaster and emergency medicine with cooperation from the world. The NADEM Center will develop International Institute of Disaster and Emergency Medicine.