Free Ear Camp at Aandhikhola Basic Hospital, Aandhikhola RM-05 on Chaitra 07-08, 2082 | March 21-22, 2026
In Nepal, most health services are concentrated in metropolitan regions, which restricts access to health care services for the rural population. To fill the gaps in accessing oral and ear health care services in rural areas of Nepal, prioritizing the marginalized population, NELUMBO, NEPAL had launched the “Dental Care and Ear Care” project, under which dental and ear camps are organized in various places to provide quality ear and oral health care services to those in need. Through this project, NELUMBO, NEPAL, conducted a two-day “Free Ear Camp” at Aandhikhola Basic Hospital in Aandhikhola Rural Municipality-05, Setidhovan, targeting the local community people of the aforementioned municipality. This camp was conducted to address the often-neglected ear health problems.
One of the most common ear problems is hearing loss, which affects over 1.5 billion people globally and results from various causes, including congenital factors, infections, noise exposure, age-related issues, and the use of certain medicines. Hence, this camp was organized to ensure early diagnosis, timely treatment, and promote health equity.
Camp Team:
| S.N. | Name | Designation | Remarks |
| 1 | Mr. Ekadev Devkota | Chairperson | |
| 2 | Mr. Bhim Prasad Bhandari | Program Coordinator | |
| 3 | Ms. Shamika Basnet | Senior Program Officer | A-3814 |
| 4 | Dr. Sajan Baral | ENT Doctor | NMC No. 25581 |
| 5 | Dr. Binod Baral | Medical Officer | NMC No. 32466 |
| 6 | Mr. Rabi Gurung | Technical Officer | |
| 7 | Mrs. Pratiksha Basnet | Ear Care Practitioner | B-2617 |
| 8 | Mr. Rupesh Gurung | Technical Supervisor | |
| 9 | Mr. Mukti Bahadur Mal | Senior Driver |
PREPARATIONS
The camp was conducted at Aandhikhola Basic Hospital located at Aandhikhola Rural Municipality-05. Altogether, four rooms were utilized: one for check-ups, second for syringing, third for micro-suctioning, and the fourth for Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) testing. The registration desk was set up outside the hospital to ensure easy access for participants to register for the checkup. The overall setup of the camp was carried out by the team on the same morning as the camp.
ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The service at the camp started at 09:00 AM and continued until 05:00 PM on both days. A total of 201 people registered and screened in the two-day camp. The structured schedule ensured that all planned procedures, which ranged from initial check-ups and ear cleaning to hearing tests, were carried out efficiently within the scheduled time. The major highlights of the camp were:
- General Ear Checkups
- Ear Syringing
- Micro-suctioning
- Audio test (PTA)
- Medicine Distribution
- Counseling

The ear screenings for all registered participants were completed during the camp. The primary medical procedures included ear syringing to remove wax or foreign material, examination and management of tympanic membrane perforations, and Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) tests to assess participants’ hearing thresholds. These procedures are summarized in the bar chart presented in Figure 1, which provides a visual representation of the frequency and distribution of each intervention performed during the camp.
The OPD findings showed that 15 people had perforations in their tympanic membranes. During the checkup, it was also observed that a significant number of people had impacted earwax, which was affecting their hearing to some extent. Over the course of the 2-days camp, ear syringing was performed for 40 people along with 3 suctioning cases. Similarly, 18 cases of Deviated Nose Septum (DNS) cases were diagnosed during the checkup which is a bit concerning. These individuals reported symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, chronic sinus infection, headaches, etc., many of which required immediate surgery. Furthermore, 16 patients who required further surgical treatment and medication were referred to specialized hospitals in Pokhara Metropolitan City.
CONCLUSION
Aandhikhola Rural Municipality ward no. 05 proved to be one of crucial location for the ear camp, as most of the local people were unaware of the severity of ear problems until the camp was conducted. This camp also served as the important means for raising awareness about ear health among local community people of the area.
The services provided through the camp got positive feedback from the municipality office, ward members and local stakeholders.
FEEDBACK
Feedback about the camp by the stakeholders.

ANNEX: PICTURES
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