Asha Health Care  

In partnership with CWSN

Asha means ‘hope' in Nepalese, and our partner's healthcare services aim to improve children's lives and reduce child mortality.  We work with the poorest and most disadvantaged children in the city of Pokhara and the surrounding mountain villages, who would otherwise have no access to free primary healthcare.  The range of services is diverse and versatile, in order that we can respond to the changing needs of the client groups we work with. 

Asha Health Care is divided into six sub-programmes with specific teams who ensure the level of care they provide meets the needs of their client groups:

• Asha Day Clinic - the main hub for our health services
• Asha Hostel - accommodation during longer term treatment
• Asha Mobile Clinics - for outlying slum and village communities
• Asha Village Health - for mountain villages
• Asha Safe Motherhood - for mothers and pregnant women
• Asha Youth Health - for street and working children

See our Case Studies section for real life stories from Asha Health.

Asha Day Clinic

This purpose built and team designed clinic in the city of Pokhara, specialises in children's healthcare, and also acts as the main base for the other Asha sub programmes.  It provides free or low cost access to:

• Primary health care
• Pathology lab
• Pharmacy
• Medical counseling
• Health awareness programme in the waiting area
• Patient referral and transportation to local hospitals for advanced treatment

With a philosophy drawn from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the service has built a reputation for providing a high standard of professional and effective care, but just as importantly for treating children and families with kindness, respect and dignity.

This is reflected not only in the child friendly environment of Asha Clinic but also in the systems of care.  Children are assessed immediately on arrival to identify the most sick and prioritise their care.  This ensures a fair approach based on need, rather than traditional Nepali services where those who are richer or higher up the social ladder take priority.   

The service encourages problem solving within the team, which has generated simple innovations that have helped address and resolve numerous practical issues at low cost. 

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Asha Hostel

Many children from rural communities that require longer term healthcare, are unable to access it as they have nowhere to stay in the city.  Asha Hostel, which is attached to Asha Clinic, provides a supportive, warm and supervised environment for a child to stay with a parent.  The hostel has the following facilities and services to support patients' recovery and make it more enjoyable:

• Accommodation and food
• Non-formal education sessions to avoid children falling behind in school and improve their parents' basic education
• Health social worker
• Medical counselling
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational therapy
• TV room and outdoor play area

Asha Hostel is an invaluable bridge to enable children to access the care they need.

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Asha Mobile Clinics

This is an outreach service providing healthcare to outlying slum communities and communities that are not within easy reach of Pokhara services.  Many families have been forced to these areas by difficulties in their own villages, such as the political unrest or landslide damage to their homes.  They come seeking a better life but often entire families, including small children, are engaged in hard labour, such as digging sand and stone for building construction.  Due to their poverty and remote location, it is difficult for them to access healthcare.      

A fully equipped ambulance vehicle visits these communities regularly, and acts as a base for vital primary health care and preventive health education programmes.  The health workers focus on the children, though they also provide care and advice for the parents.  Patients can also visit Asha Day Clinic or other local hospitals through this service if they need more advanced care.

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Asha Safe Motherhood

Nepal has high levels of infant and maternal mortality.  If they survive childbirth, many mothers are left with long lasting difficulties, and it is common for babies to suffer from preventable disabilities.  The aim of this programme is to reduce the risks associated with pregnancy, childbirth and early care, for both mother and baby.  We also try to increase women's choices about pregnancy by providing information and access to family planning.

There are 2 main areas within Safe Motherhood:

• Basic antenatal care service - this is for individual patients and includes simple checks and monitoring, advice for mothers, and referral for high risk pregnancies
• Health education classes - this is a series of 5 classes delivered in group discussions by a health worker.  It includes topics such as ‘how can I stay well during pregnancy?' and ‘how can I plan my family in future?'

These specialist services are available through the Day Clinic, Mobile Clinic, and Village Health sub-programmes.

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Asha Youth Health

Young people, especially the most vulnerable groups such as street and working children, have particular health needs that are poorly catered for.  Asha Youth Health has dedicated staff and services designed to meet their needs.  The health workers specialise in identifying substance abuse, the risk of sexually transmitted infections, and also increasing awareness and the value of a young person's ‘self' in order to improve their behaviour.

Asha Youth Health aims to ensure that the most isolated young people can access healthcare, so the services are based in environments where they will feel comfortable:

• Separate times reserved for young people at Asha Day Clinic
• Dedicated health worker and outreach at JYOTI Street Project
• Dedicated health worker based at JYOTI Vocational Training Centre, providing clinical and emotional support 
• Daily access to health services and advice through the Child Labour Elimination Project contact centres

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Asha Village Health

This programme is run through health posts in our Day Care Health Centres.  Most have their own dedicated health worker, or if not they share one with a nearby centre.  They provide access to primary health care, focusing on early treatment of common diseases and injuries, child health monitoring, health education in the community, and referral to Pokhara for more serious conditions. 

See our Day Care Health Centres page for more details. 

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Case Studies

Sasmita's story

Sasmita has 4 children and her husband is a builder.  Her first 3 children were girls, and she was happy with this, but her husband wanted to have a son. 

Sasmita came to Asha Day clinic because her baby son is suffering from a fever.  When she first brought him, she was given medicine for the fever, and also advice from the health workers about treating the fever, hygiene, and breastfeeding.  Unfortunately the fever did not go away so she returned to Asha clinic for further advice and treatment. 

Sasmita says: "It is good to know there is somewhere that you can take your child if they are seriously ill, as in other places the child may die before getting care".

Preeti's story

Preeti has been using Asha Day clinic for a long time.  She has 2 children, and came to the clinic when one of her boys had an ear infection.  Asha clinic referred her to the hospital, where he was given medicine to take for a week, but at the end of the week he was still ill.  She went back to the hospital, and was told that it would take some time for him to recover, that she would need to continue giving him the medicine, but that she may have to go to another hospital.  Preeti was confused by what the hospital had said, and did not know where she should go.  She therefore returned to Asha clinic to ask for their advice. 

Preeti says: " I come to Asha because I get free treatment, and I also believe it is good treatment.  At the hospital I am often neglected and they get irritated if they have to explain things to me, but the staff at Asha greet and welcome me, and offer me good advice and counselling."

Prakash's story

Prakash, aged 15, was living on the streets and as a result had not washed especially during the recent cold weather.  He had a severe infection on his head due to maggots and lice, and he became very ill.

Prakash was taken to the Asha Youth Health programme part of Asha Clinic.  At first he ran away because he was afraid to take a bath, but the staff persuaded him to return and admitted him for treatment.  After 2 weeks of care and a healthy diet he was taking a bath on his own and the infection had cleared up.  He was upset that he had to be discharged, as he had been treated so well, and experienced a family like atmosphere and a healthy environment. 

Prakash is now back on the street again, but he uses the JYOTI Street Project drop in centre, where he is able to get medical treatment if he needs it, as well as other basic services.

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