GLOBAL EM
Bayalpata Hospital: 15 Years and Forward
SAEM PULSE | MAY-JUNE 2023
By Camille Lubetkin, MPH, and Derek Lubetkin, MD on behalf of the SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy
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The final day of the 15th anniversary celebration of Bayalpata Hospital begins with a six-kilometer “marathon” up the hilly terrain of Sanfebagar, Nepal. Bayalpata is in the far-western region of Nepal in Achham district, one of Nepal's most remote regions with some of the country's highest poverty rates. White polo shirts specially ordered for the event are handed out to hospital staff. Those who do not run carry signs promoting health equity, a visual demonstration of the hospital's ethos. Following the race, preparations for the 15th anniversary ceremony are finalized. In moments, balloons are strung over a brightly colored stage, various forms of seating are arranged, and polo shirts are exchanged for saris. Everything is done with immense care and teamwork— a genuine reflection of the type of culture
and work ethic Bayalpata Hospital cultivates. Since 2008, Nyaya Health Nepal (NHN), the non-profit which operates Bayalpata Hospital, has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Population and municipal governments of Nepal to improve health care for underserved communities. NHN's efforts have been recognized globally, including having received the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID's) HRH2030 Global Resilience Award for 2020 due to its work in enhancing the effectiveness of rural health workers. The hospital's origins trace back to 2008 when an HIV clinic was opened in Sanfebagar. Two years later, with the support of the local community, they expanded into an abandoned hospital building on the grounds of what is
today's Bayalpata Hospital. In 2015, the hospital was redesigned and enlarged, a project that aligned with Bayalpata's goal of providing sustainable rural health care. Bayalpata Hospital was transformed into a 50-bed hospital with outpatient, inpatient, surgery, antenatal, emergency, and dental facilities, a pharmacy, and an on-site canteen. The hospital's architecture has won international recognition for its impressive, rammed-earth construction in which materials were locally sourced. The hospital buildings integrate harmoniously into the topography, instilling a wake of tranquility, but most importantly for the staff and patients, the buildings are earthquake resistant. Bayalpata provides high-quality and completely free medical care to its patients. The hospital functions