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HealthNet
HealthNet Nepal
"Although my institution (Tribhuvan University Hospital) is the premier medical school, the condition of the library is primitive-packed with old books and journals (and) only a handful of medical journals...Information (would) not exist, had SATELLIFE not provided this much needed service of getting access to resources available in the Internet and elsewhere."
Dr. Mahendra Nepal, Professor of Psychiatry,
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
HealthNet Nepal is a shining example of the revolutionary power of ICT. The network began in 1994 with a small group of health professionals and several representatives from health organizations in Nepal who were concerned about the lack of information resources in the country. Since that time, HealthNet Nepal has grown to become the leading source of medical and health information and communications services in and around Kathmandu. Currently, two hundred and thirty health institutions and organizations, including hospitals, clinics, university departments, research sites, and NGOs in both urban and rural settings, maintain accounts with HealthNet Nepal. With an estimated five or more individuals accessing the HealthNet account at various institutions, over 700 health professionals throughout the country are now able to communicate and exchange knowledge with each other and with colleagues around the world.
With SATELLIFE's support, HealthNet Nepal upgraded its technical capacity and became a full Internet Service Provider (ISP) in 1999. This enhanced capacity has enabled the organization to serve a larger audience and to offer a wider range of information services. In addition to SATELLIFE's suite of information resources, some of these include:
- on-line access to the Health Science Bibliography of Nepal
- on-line access to Nepalese Masters and Ph.D. health theses
- on-line access to full text medical and technical papers, reports, and journals published in Nepal
- e-mail access to Medline and Popline
- distance education in application of computer in health statistics
- customized, on-site, computer training for health professionals
Perhaps most illuminating are the following anecdotes that highlight the true impact HealthNet Nepal has had on the Nepalese health community:
- In 1996, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital had an extreme need for equipment and supplies. Dr. Adib Barsoum, a HealthNet Nepal user, reported that shortages were reaching a critical level. He and Dr. Merwyn Bagan of Concord, New Hampshire, mobilized a humanitarian relief effort with Dr. Bagan's son in the US. After a year of effort -- the logistics of which were coordinated over HealthNet -- one million dollars worth of supplies and equipment were sent to the hospital. Dr. Bagan wrote with his thanks, "Without HealthNet, I could never have afforded the communication costs required to make the arrangements."
- In 1998, the Nepal Medical Council standardized medical education in Nepal. Dr. Hemang Dixit, a member of the Nepal Medical Council and a Professor of Child Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, communicated with Russian, American, and British authorities regarding the training and standardization of qualifications of medical personnel in these countries. As a result, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate level training and examinations were reformed. Dr. Dixit obtained all of the information relevant to this process through medical education discussion groups and World Wide Web sites provided by HealthNet Nepal.
- In 1998, Dr. K. C. Rajbhandari, Senior Consultant, Neuropsychiatrist, Neuro-Psychiatry Department, Shree Birendra Military Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, first introduced the use of Albendazole as an effective drug for the treatment of Neuro-Cysticersis in Nepal. A test was conducted on 42 cases and indicated a 96% efficacy and cure rate. Dr. Rajbhandari gathered all the information regarding the therapeutic use of Albendazole through MEDLINE, an information service available through HealthNet Nepal.
Visit HealthNet Nepal's web site!
Contact Information:
HealthNet Nepal
Institute of Medicine
Health Learning Materials Center
PO Box 2533, Maharajgunj
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977 (1) 412202
Fax: +977 (1) 429722
Email: support@healthnet.org.np
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