The Nepal Epilepsy Association (NEA) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which strives to raise awareness about epilepsy in Nepal and provides holistic care to patient living with epilepsy. Its establishment in 26/09/1986 became a reality through the encouragement and support of Dr. Kun Hoo Rhee and Dr. C.C. Park, prominent psychiatrists from South Korea, who visited Nepal with the vision of establishing organization similar to Korean Epilepsy Association (KEA). This vision came to reality through a young Nepali doctor, Dr. Sakura Rajbhandari, Dr. Rhee's student in Korea. Since, its establishment, Dr Rhee is continuously providing medicine as well as other supports including yearly medical camps to NEA. However, NEA is presently running on private donations. It has one epilepsy center in Lazimpat (where there are more than 600 registered epilepsy patients) and 50 bedded hospital in Dolkha (Gaurishanker General Hospital) run in coordination with Kathmandu Model Hospital. This General Hospital provides care to not only epilepsy patients but other common diseases. There are more than 1000 epilepsy patient files in Dolkha .
Almost all of the operational costs from running the NEA clinic in Kathmandu come from private donations, both in cash and kind (antiepileptic drugs) medicines). A small proportion is recovered from patients who can pay for the anti epileptic drugs. Those who cannot afford to pay are given drugs free of charge. |