08/29/2014    Paul Roche

Request for Volunteer Podiatrist to Train Staff in Diabetic Foot Management in Nepal

Green Pastures Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre is
a leprosy referral hospital and rehabilitation
centre for people with spinal cord injuries,
amputations, stroke, cerebral palsy and other
disabilities. The staff includes physicians,
nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists
and orthotics & prosthetic technicians. Staff have
considerable experience in preventing disability
through making protective shoes, mobility devices
and aids for daily living.

Staff have many years of experience in managing
leprosy patients with insensitive feet through
providing nerve assessments, giving health and
self-care education and providing protective shoes
and prostheses for amputees, mobility devices and
gait training. Staff are also experienced in
providing care for leprosy ulcers, including
treatment, dressings and surgery.

Diabetes in Nepal

Nepal is experiencing a huge increase in type 2
diabetes with an estimated 680,000 cases
While there are diabetic clinics developing in
some government and private hospitals, there are
few if any diabetic foot services apart from
general patient education. GPHRC has the staff and
experience to fill this important gap in Pokhara,
the second largest city in Nepal

Proposal for filling podiatry skills and gaps
through short term on-site podiatry training
We need a qualified podiatrist with extensive
knowledge and experience in managing diabetic feet
to work as a volunteer for 2 to 3 months at our
hospital to train our staff and assist in
establishing a podiatry service for diabetics in
Pokhara, Nepal.

Objectives:
To train Nepali medical, therapy and prosthetic &
orthotic staff to:
1. Assess the feet of patients with diabetes and
identify diabetic foot problems
2. Develop a foot management education and self-
care plans for each client
3. Identify people at higher risk of developing
foot ulcers
4. Use appropriate methods of wound care including
dressings, debridement, antibiotic treatment of
infections
5. Provide specialist footwear, insoles
6. Provide skin and nail care
7. Manufacture appropriate prostheses and mobility
devices for patients post amputation
8. Develop a clinic for management of diabetic
feet in collaboration with diabetic clinics in
Pokhara which has the capacity to provide check-
ups monthly for patients with ulcers; at 3-6 month
intervals for clients with risk factors for
developing ulcers and annual check-ups for low
risk patients
9. Assist the Nepali team to develop appropriate
health education material for patient education

Suggested time frame:
November / December 2014 (2 months) with follow-up
visits if possible.

Personal requirements
Essential
• Qualified podiatrist with more than 5 years’
experience in the management of diabetic feet
preferably as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Extensive experience in training medical staff
in various specialities on management of diabetic
feet
• Willing to provide training without compensation
and cover own travel and accommodation costs.
Desirable
• Previous experience of developing diabetic foot
care services in a developing country
• Acceptance/sympathy with the Christian ethos of
INF and Green Pastures Hospital

For information please contact
Paul Roche
Superintendent
Green Pastures Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre
PO Box 28, Pokhara, Nepal
T: (977-61) 431162
F: (977-61) 430940
E: gphrc.superintendent@kaski.nepal.inf.org
W: www.inf.org

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