Our commitment
Siddhi Memorial Hospital
The Siddhi Memorial Hospital in Bhaktapur is a children's and women's hospital, which is funded by a registered non-governmental and non-profit organization and enjoys a very good reputation in the region. The hospital provides access to sustainable health care primarily for children and also for women (maternity) at affordable prices.
In 1993, the Siddhi Memorial Health Centre was established by a couple whose son Siddhi died in an accident as there was no hospital nearby. This was so successful that the couple established the Siddhi Memorial Hospital in 1997. Through its success and the support of national and international donors, a previously unavailable health service was provided in the region.
The hospital began with 10 inpatient beds for children and gradually expanded to the current 50 beds. Today, the hospital offers emergency services, a neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit, dental, inpatient and outpatient services for children. It also includes gynecological services, operating theatres and a maternity centre for women. Every day, around 100 children and women are cared for as outpatients and another 30 children are cared for in the emergency room. 240 employees work at Siddhi Memorial Hospital.
The neonatal intensive care unit has 10 beds for infants up to 1 month of age and the pediatric intensive care unit has 3 beds.
Also affiliated with the hospital is a senior citizens' home (Siddhi Shaligram Senior Citizens' Home), which was founded in 2005. Its aim is to care for the entire life cycle of a person, from child to senior citizen.
Since 2017, the Siddhi Memorial Foundation (SMF) has been supporting not only the hospital and the retirement home, but also the Siddhi Memorial Children Home, a children's home that offers space for 20 children.
Our activities
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Developing medical care in a qualitative and sustainable manner
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Used and well-preserved equipment (10 heating beds, 8 infusion pumps) was transported by cargo flight to Kathmandu and then to the Siddhi Memorial Hospital. The heating beds were urgently needed and are now in daily use.
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Urgently needed new equipment was organized and financed in Switzerland and also brought to Siddhi Memorial Hospital (3 saturation monitors, 4 otoscopes, 6 breast pumps, 8 stethoscopes).
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Wherever possible, materials were purchased locally (3 vaporizers for pacifiers and baby bottles) or small shops were used. For example, blankets were brought to a small tailor's shop around the corner to be cut and sewn according to our wishes.
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On-site doctors and nursing staff in the neonatal intensive care unit were trained in specific topics (improving hygiene, improving outcomes for premature babies, etc.). Other employees involved were also trained (e.g. midwives on hygienic handling when pumping breast milk). This training could only be carried out after an observation phase in the intensive care unit.
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Brief instructions for devices (vaporizers, warming beds, perfusors) and instructions for action (entry control, zone isolation, indications for hand disinfection/washing hands/wearing a face mask) were developed together.
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Online Zoom meetings for nurses at Siddhi Memorial Hospital: Professional exchange and input on nursing-specific topics as well as questions from Swiss specialists such as nurses, speech therapists, style consultants, physiotherapists, etc. ( Kangaroo method for newborns, promoting parent-child contact, positioning of premature and newborn babies, etc.)
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Online Zoom meetings for doctors: professional exchange and input from Swiss doctors (topic: use of antibiotics, nutrition of premature babies)
03
Improve patient treatment outcomes
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Optimizing the nutrition of premature babies through doctor-to-doctor training via video conference between Switzerland and Nepal.
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Breast milk supplement powder purchased in Switzerland as an additive to breast milk so that premature babies can gain weight more quickly and have better brain development.
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Financing and renovation of the playroom for all patients of Siddhi Memorial Hospital and purchase of new toys.
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Toys bought in Nepal were brought to the children's home, which is supported by the Siddhi Memorial Foundation. The children were extremely happy.
The heated beds from Switzerland are ready for expected twins.
The new otoscopes have been labeled and are ready for their first use.
The heated beds from Switzerland are ready for expected twins.
It is really impressive that our contributions are still being implemented even after our departure and that work is being done continuously on the areas for improvement. We regularly receive reports and photos about the measures implemented and of course we keep you up to date with such reports and pictures here on our homepage.