KATHMANDU, NEPAL -- Seventy-nine-year old Batuli Adhikari lives at The Pashupati Bridhashram, an old age home in Kathmandu, Nepal. For the last 20 years, Adhikari has suffered from uterine and stomach ailments. After being hospitalized for six months in Nuwakot, a district in central Nepal, she came to the Bridhashram because she could no longer afford her own medications. Her doctors say she needs another operation for her ulcer, but she has not been operated on yet.
Adhikari’s head is full of grey hair and her face is wrinkled with the age. Today, she cannot easily move around on her own and can’t speak properly because of a breathing problem. Despite her disabilities, she walks to the health center at the old age home, which is about 300 meters from their residence. “This is my fate, we cannot die as we wish and I am content with I have,” says Adhikari of her life.
The Pashupati Bridhashram, the only government funded old age home in Nepal, was established in 1882. While elderly homes are uncommon in Nepal, the Bridhashram exceeded its capacity of 200 residents in 2005. As of March 2007, 236 elderly people, between the ages of 65 and 102, currently resided there. According to Bridhashram officials, 28 were deaf, 29 were physically disabled, eight were mentally challenged and 16 blind people currently lived in the home. Apart from these physical ailments, other health concerns like indigestion, asthma, dysentery and joint problems are common among residents. Despite the array of health issues and overcrowding, Bridhashram is run by only 20 employees. Among them is only one nurse and no full-time doctors are employed.
Bimala Subedi has been a nurse at the home for seven years. She says that she wants to serve as many people as possible and is disappointed that she does not have the resources to care for more patients. Nevertheless, the limited number of employees makes it difficult to adequately care for all of the patients they currently house. Subedi also adds that the home lacks proper vehicles to transport the patients during urgent situations.
The Bridhashram, which is funded by the Nepali government and is overseen by the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, provides medical assistance worth about 2 rupees, about $.03, per person per day. “There is a budget of 240,000 rupees per year, about $3,428, for medicines and health check-ups, which is inadequate. People who could have lived longer with medical care were deprived of it,” Subedi says.
Recently, the Bridhashram proposed a new budget of 1,000,000 rupees, about $14,285, to increase medical services. The government has not yet approved the new budget. Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, the under secretary of the Ministry for Women, Children and Social Welfare, says the Bridhashram is funded to the minimum requirements. He added that the ministry cannot provide additional facilities or care due to the lack of funds. “We can only provide the budget that the Finance Ministry already allocates for the Bridhashram. We are trying our best to provide medical experts,” he says.
Trained as a nurse, Subedi says she often has to perform the duties of a physician. One local doctor, who works voluntarily, visits the elderly home three times a week. However, the home has not been able to allocate any budget for doctors or other medical specialists.
