Memorandum of Understanding with Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicineand IRIDeS（2016/11/16-19）
Topics: Promotion of education, research and cooperation
Venue: Tribhuvan University (Kathmandu, Nepal)

On Nov. 16-19, 2016 (Wed – Sat), Prof. Shinichi Egawa (Disaster Medical Science Division) on
behalf of Director Fumihiko Imamura visited Tribhuvan University in Nepal and exchanged signed
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IRIDeS and Tribhuvan University Institute ofMedicine (TU-IOM). The “Fact-finding and network building mission to Nepal” after 2015 Nepal
Earthquake, the International Workshop on Disaster Medicine, and World Bank Symposium on
Nepal Earthquake deepened mutual relationship and achieved this MOU.
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TU-TH) is the oldest and largest medical college andmost of the staff in Ministry of Health in Nepali Government graduated TU. TU-TH has 60 seats foreach year medical students, but the examinees exceeds10,000. The tuition fee is for free, butstudents should serve as physicians in the remote area after graduation. Hospital Preparednessfor Emergency (HOPE) course is provided in TU-TH and it served full functional at 2015 Gorkha
Earthquake. Immediately after the shake, TU-TH transferred all in-hospital patients to the open
space in front of the hospital for safety and accepted number of mass casualty patients. Green,Yellow, Red and Black area were set according to the plan and drills before disaster.
MOU promotes exchange of students, faculties and collaborations. Especially, mental healthissues and HOPE program will be research topic for both sides. HOPE course is 4-day curriculumwith 26 interactive lecture, six exercises for the hospital faculties including director, administrator,emergency doctors, nurses, hospital technicians. The capacity of instructors is standardized byinstructor course, tasking as an assistant instructor under evaluation by the monitor.
Prof. Egawa met with the staffs from Ministry of Health, WHO Nepal Country Office, JICA Nepal
Office, National Society of Earthquake Technology (NSET) and international NGO Association ofMedical Doctors of Asia (AMED). Prof. Egawa introduced the Global Center for Disaster Statistics
under MOU with UNDP and the significance of incorporating health statistics as a backgroundsocial data into the database. The disaster statistics in Nepal is collected by NSET by various
sources including governmental open data and media sources. The annual health report fromMinistry is also available as an open data. District level comparison can be possible using thesedata.
AMDA Nepal is promoting three projects: a) improving remote area health standards bymanaging three AMDA hospitals, b) education of health professionals, and c) disaster medical
response including international dispatch from Nepal. AMDA hospitals are providing health care tothe people in remote area at minimal cost, and the profit from the hospitals are used for thepromotion of other activities. It resembles the situation in Japan where Japan Red Cross owns
hospitals in many area and promotes public health and disaster response. Nepal Red Cross ismanaging blood bank and does not own any hospital. Nepal AMDA has only 24 memberships who
had devoted to the humanitarian activities and high motivation. Prof. Egawa enhanced the networkwith TU-TH Professors who is also member of AMDA Nepal.
Kathmandu is under many constructions for the reconstruction from Gorkha Earthquake. Newadministration made it possible to maintain power supply for several consecutive days. Before that,power outage was everyday routine. Prof. Egawa visited the largest governmental Bir Hospital.
One of the wards were severely damaged by the earthquake and demolished for the reconstruction
with support from JICA. But it suffers from the lack of water resource. More than 300 m depth ofwell or water tunnel from remote water source is necessary for appropriate water supply for thehospital. Reconstruction from disaster requires multi-asset of social resource and building backbetter should be achieved. Collaboration and education between IRIDeS and Nepal will promote
the practical disaster risk reduction.
Reported by Shinichi Egawa（Disaster Medical Science）(continues to the next page)From left, Acting Dean Prof. Bimal Kumar
Shinha, Prof. Egawa, Prof. Saroj Ojha,
former AMDA Nepal President

TUTH main entrance, where served as an open
space at Gorkha Earthquake 2015

Bir Hospital demolished the severely
damaged ward, but securing water source iscurrent problem

HOPE course coordinator Prof. Pradeep Baidya