On a rainy Sunday morning in late October, the doors of the Davis Street Family Health Clinic in San Leandro opened, once again, for Sahayeta.Org’s 3rd Annual Health Clinic.
Comprehensive healthcare is no longer a fantasy in the United States of America – a handful of San Francisco Bay Area volunteers have made it a reality. Their small network of local health professionals and students brought to the Bay Area’s Himalayan community what many healthcare activists been positing for years: a health care system which addresses three components of individual health: mental, physical, and cultural. Moreover, these services are provided at no cost to the individual served.
On a rainy Sunday morning in late October, the doors of the Davis Street Family Health Clinic in San Leandro opened, once again, for Sahayeta.Org’s 3rd Annual Health Clinic. The dreary weather outside had little effect on the enthusiasm inside; individuals and families waited for their providers while being entertained by live theatrical performances and traditional folk dance. Combining health awareness with cultural activity has become one of Sahayeta.Org’s main strategies in uniting the Bay Area’s Himalayan Community (which includes recent immigrants, working professionals and students of Nepalese, Bhutanese and Tibetan descent). Once registered with the organization, patients receive free follow-up care.
With the support of Samuel Merritt University, Sahayeta’s health program has gained the attention of practitioners throughout Northern California. Three years ago, organizers had to scour the Nepali and Tibetan-speaking network for available health providers. But the health event has slowly made a name for itself, and the search for providers is no longer as arduous. “Now,” according to Sahayeta.Org’s president and Nurse Practitioner, Nisha Thapa, “the providers come to us.” In addition to internists and nurses, this year’s patient group of 75 individuals were seen by Nepalese and Tibetan providers in the fields of Pediatrics, Optometry, Clinical Psychology, Dentistry and Physical Therapy.
In addition to the annual key organizers from Samuel Merritt University, Drs. Valerie Dzubur and Suzanne Schwartz and Clinical Nurse Specialist of Alameda County, Kathy Ahoy, Sahayeta.Org is deeply grateful for the participation of:
Dechen Dolkar -Director of Tibetan Health Committee; Registered Nurse at Stanford Hospital Dr Siddhartha Gurung- Family Physician Dr Archana Kyastha- Pediatrician Dr Jabina Ramdey- Optometrist Dr Sadhana Adhikari- Clinical Psychologist Dr Sujana Maskey- Dentist Bernadette Currier – Physical Therapist Ram Lacchi Rana- BACC; Nepali Interpreter at Alameda County Medical Center Richie Jain Thapa- Bhutanese youth leader Gregg Tully- Nepal Youth Foundation Suresh Oja- Computer Association of Nepal USA- Disaster Preparedness Narika .Org – South Asian women’s group Hepatitis B Project Samuel Merritt University student volunteers Bay Area – based Himalayan Community volunteers
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