To respond to these serious problems, the NHF has been advocating for last several years for a more comprehensive program to reduce the burden of RHD. A well focused program on RHD was initiated since 2008 by the NHF with the help of Nepal Government for six years and through collaboration with national and international non governmental partners then after till date.

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This RHD control programme has brought considerable improvements in the cardiac health in the country. People are more aware on leading heart friendly healthy life and the incidences of RHD among school children have declined. RHD patients enjoy improved and escorted access provided by the NHF for free treatments and medications, including surgery, in the advanced heart hospitals.   

NHF’s RHD control programme has been applauded not only within the country but also taken as a model for several other countries, including Bangladesh and Ethiopia, to replicate its successes. The exemplary best practices of this program have been shared in many international heart forums.  

 

The credit of accomplishments by the NHF’s RHD control programme primarily goes to its pioneer and visionary dynamic leader who sailed this program through difficult times to reach the needy living in urban to remote and far-flung districts of the country. Through the RHD Programme Director, NHF has earned confidence of many and it now acts as a true friend in need for the cases related to heart diseases.

 

In these respects, Nepal Heart Foundation proudly feels honored to declare its General Secretary, Dr. Prakash Raj Regmi, born in 1959, as the NHF Heart Hero of 2019.

 

We fully acknowledge the following on Dr. Regmi for his outstanding contributions:

 

Personal details

• Professor in Cardiology, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Nepal

• Trained in cardiology from USSR (Russia).

• Served NHF in different capacities ranging from Executive Committee Member to the General Secretary (1997-2001), Vice President (2007-2009.) and President (2009-2015) and currently the General Secretary for a three-year term commenced in February 2018.

• Programme Director for National Programmes of the NHF, namely

  • Save the Children’s Heart

  • Heart Attack Control

  • Heart Disease Treatment Fund, and

  • Cardiac Rehabilitation

 

Engagement in Cardiovascular health

• As the Programme Director, he has been extremely involved in designing and implementation of the RHD control programme, which was started in collaboration with the Nepal Government in 2008 and still in operation. 

• RHD Programme is a comprehensive package to organize public awareness, conduct heart screenings, training to heart disease prevention volunteers and medical professionals, deliver antibiotics for the secondary prophylaxis of RHD, administering penicillin injections to the RHD affected children through the National and Regional hospitals and selected health centers, providing access to the treatment and surgery for free to the potential RHD patients, etc.   

• Dr. Regmi has conducted several interaction programmes in the urban and remote districts of the country on prevention of heart diseases especially focusing on the lifestyle modifications and maintaining heart friendly healthier habits. He speaks about physical fitness and exercise, cooking and eating healthy food, anti-tobacco issues, hypertensions, etc.

 

Achievements/ milestones

• Under the RHD control programme, over two-hundred thousand school children have under gone through the heart screening on site so far. The numbers will be updated as the NHF services on RHD are being implemented with expanding geographic scopes.

• During 2015-mid 2019, over 160 children with potential heart risks were identified and brought to the government heart hospitals in Kathmandu where the government has provisioned for free valve replacement surgery and required medications and treatment. NHF acts as the link between the affected children and hospital and help facilitate the services of the hospital.

• NHF also helps raising funds from local sources for non-affording adult heart patients for medical expenses. 256 such patients have been supported so far.

• NHF has also initiated clinical audit and maintaining register of RHD patients.

• A comprehensive Training Manual for Training of Trainers on RHD has been developed and published. The manual was prepared in consultations with prominent cardiologists of Nepal. The manual is said to be the first of its kind in Asia and Africa.

 

The key achievements to nominate Dr. Regmi as the NHF Heart Hero

• The RHD program in NHF has moved a long way. The adorable personality with vision to fight against RHD in Nepal developed a comprehensive program with two prong approaches of preventive and curative programs as a package and implemented it successfully over the years.

• Able leadership is demonstrated in mobilizing teams of enthusiastic, energetic and competent cardiologists and medical practitioners, occasionally for longer periods too, for screening as well as echocardiographic examinations at site.

• Mobilization of financial resources for the RHD control programme from Government, public, private and national and international agencies.

• Effectively sharing the experiences and best practices of Nepal within the country and international heart forums.

• Actively involved in institutionalizing NHF with its network extending to all districts of Nepal. He has personally initiated establishing several district level branches.