Sagar-Bakanje Health Station blev bygget af Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) i 2006. Det er en fin, velbygget og rummelig klinik, men af en eller anden grund "glemte" konstruktøren at bygge overetagen så høj, som det var angivet af byggetegningen. Det var ellers meningen at der skulle være bolig for adskillige ansatte ved klinikken på førstesalen, men nu er der så lavloftet at man ikke kan gå oprejst deroppe. For allerede RRN var klar over, at det ikke er til at skaffe veluddannede og langtidsansatte til Sagar-Bakanje. Veluddannede sundhedpersoner kommer normalt fra lavlandet, og de har det svært med klimaet heroppe blandt de hårdføre Sherpa. Om vinteren står en konstant kold vind og om sommeren er det hele indhyllet i tåge. Og eneste alternative bolig findes ved at leje sig ind i et hummer hos en af de lokale bønder. Derfor forsvinder de ansatte igen ved først givne lejlighed. Nu vil vi bygge en lille fin og komfortabel bolig til den sundhedsperson, der til enhver tid har den højeste uddannelse. Boligen bliver stor nok til at huse en lille familie og ikke for stor til en enlig. Den kommer til at ligge klos op ad klinikken. Læs projektbeskrivelsen Sagar-Bakanje Health Worker Residence, November 2010.
I 2011 ville vi opgradere klinikkens inventar, som er på et meget lavt niveau, ligesom vi ville sikre uddannelse af en af de lokale piger, Sabita Ghimere, til Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA), som både kan fungere som Jordemoder i hjemmene og på klinikken. Også klinikkens pedel Santosh Bashnet gav vi en uddannelse som Health Assistant, så han kan fungere både her og i sin hjemby Sagardanda, hvor han selv har opbygget en lille Sub Health Post. Læs projektbeskrivelsen Bakanje Health Upgrade Project, November 2010.
Midt 2012 var de 3 lokale piger blevet uddannet som Auxíllary Midwife Nurse (ANM - en lavtuddannet jordemoder). Den ene, Sabita Ghimere, blev forelsket i en gut flere dagsmarcher borte i Sotang, så nu fungerer hun dér. Den anden, Furwa Sherpa, dumpede i første omgang men blev for nylig færdig og straks blev hun lokalt gift og etablerede et lille apotek i Kenja. Men den tredie, Chemi Sherpa, fik en fin eksamen og ventede hjemme i ½ år, fordi hun følte at hun ikke bare kunne tage ud i verden, når hun skylder os sin uddannelse. Vi sendte hende to måneder til Chitwan for at få lidt rutine. Det fik hun for hun var med til 22 fødsler. Vi har siden presset noget på for at få hende ansat i Bakanje, og endelig lykkedes det, da Dr. Mingma, som nu er højt placeret i sundhedsministeriet, gav hende ansættelse ved Sagarbakanje Health Post som jordemoder og sygeplejerske. Samtidig havde Santosh Basnet endelig kørt sig i stilling til at komme på uddannelse. Vi prøvede at finde penge til ham gennem sponsorer, men det holdt hårdt. Da det ikke lykkedes, så betalte vi fra scholarship-kassen de små 10.000 kr for 15 måneders uddannelse i Chaurikot til Community Medical Assistant (CMA - en lavtuddannet mediciner). Og samtidig er byggeriet af embedsboligen ved Sagarbakanje Health Post langt fremskredent, så nu får vi se hvem af de to, der skal bo i den. Se rapporten Sagarbakanje Healt Post Quarter, May 2012.
Men så vel gik det ikke. Santosh blev færdiguddannet som den bedste i klassen og kom stolt hjem, hvor jeg mødte ham og ønskede ham til lykke og viste ham boligen, hvor han skulle bo. Men en uge senere gik han ned med Japansk Hjernebetændelse og blev indlagt i Kathmandu, men endte med at blive mentalt retarderet og til sidst at dø. Chemi havde for lidt at lave i Bakanje. Der var ingen fødsler til hende og som mediciner slog hun ikke til. Så hun flyttede til Kathmandu. Lægeboligen blev langt om længe færdig, selv om vi havde en masse besvær med at få bygmesteren til at aflevere et ordentligt arbejde. Men der bo ikke nogen i lægeboligen her i begyndelsen af 2015. Den bliver nu brugt af kvindegruppernes andelsbank.
Jordskælvet i April 2015 forårsagede heldigvis kun mindre skader på bygningerne.
Sagar-Bakanje Health Station
was built by Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) in 2006. It is a fine, well built and spacious clinic, but for some reason the constructor "forgot" to build the upper floor so high, as it was stated by the construction drawing. It was otherwise supposed to be the living quarter of several employees at the clinic on the first floor, but now there are so low-ceilinged that you cannot walk upright up there. For RRN was already aware that it is difficult to provide well-trained and long-term employees to Sagar-Bakanje. Well-trained health personnel normally come from the lowlands, and they have difficulties with the climate up here among the hardy Sherpa. There is a constant cold wind in the winter and in the summer it is all enveloped in fog. And only alternative available housing is by renting themself into a chamber at one of the local peasants. Therefore the employees disappear again at the earliest opportunity. Now we want to build a small fine and comfortable housing for the health care professional, who at any time has the highest education. The dwelling will be big enough to house a small family and not too large for a single. It's going to be right next to the clinic. Read the project description Sagar-Bakanje Health Worker Residence, November 2010.
In 2011, we wanted to upgrade the clinic's fixtures, which is at a very low level, just as we would ensure the education of one of the local girls, Sabita Ghimere, to Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA), which both can act as Midwife in the homes and in the clinic. And the clinic's peon Santosh Bashnet, we wanted to give training as a Health Assistant, so he can work both here and in his home village of Sagardanda, where he has built a small Sub Health Post. Read the project description Bakanje Health Upgrade Project, November 2010.
In mid-2012 the 3 local girls had been trained as Midwife Auxíllary Nurse (ANM-a low skilled midwife). The one, Sabita Ghimere, fell in love with a boy several days marches away in Sotang, so now she works there. The other, Furwa Sherpa, failed in the first attempt but was recently completed and immediately she became locally married and established a small pharmacy in Kenja. But the third, Chemi Sherpa, got a fine degree and waited at home for ½ years because she felt that she couldn't just take out into the world, when she owed us her training. We sent her two months down to Chitwan for having a little routine. She got it because she attended 22 births. We have since lobbyed to get her employed in Bakanje, and finally we managed it, as Dr. Mingma, who is now highly placed in the Ministry of Health, gave her employment at Sagarbakanje Health Post as a midwife and nurse. At the same time, Santosh Basnet had finally driven it into position to get on the training. We tried to find money to him through sponsorship, but it kept hard. When it failed, we paid from scholarship-account the $ 2,000 for 15 months of training in Chaurikot for Community Medical Assistant (CMA-a low skilled physician). And at the same time, the construction of the quarter at Sagarbakanje Health Post was far advanced, so now we will see whom of the two, who will be staying in it. See the report Sagarbakanje Healt Record Quarter, May 2012.
But it didn't develop as we wished. Santosh graduated as the best in class and came home proudly, where I met him, congratulated him and did show him the dwelling, where he would live. But a week later he went down with Japanese encephalitis and was hospitalized in Kathmandu, but ended up being mentally retarded and finally to die. Chemi had too less to do in Bakanje. There were no births to her and she wasn't keen enough in the medicines. So she moved to Kathmandu. Health Quarter was finally completed, even though we had a lot of trouble to get the Constructor to deliver a decent work. But no one to live here in the beginning of 2015. It is now used by the women's group's cooperative bank.
The Earthquake in April 2015 luckily only caused minor damages on the buildings.