Browsing by Author "Bajracharya, S"
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Publication Assessment of Health Service Delivery to Address Cardiovascular Diseases in Nepal(Kathmandu University, 2021) Suwal, PS; Prajapati, D; Bajracharya, S; Shrestha, A; Maharjan, R; Shrestha, S; Jha, N; Koju, RP; Vaidya, AABSTRACT Background A health care delivery system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources designed to deliver health services. A comprehensive study to explore cardiovascular health service delivery in Nepal is lacking. Objective This study attempted to assess Nepal’s health system gap on organization and delivery of cardiovascular disease prevention and management services. Method This mixed-method study used the six building blocks of the World Health Organization health system framework: organization; access; coverage, utilization and demand; equity; quality of services; and outcomes. We conducted the desk reviews of national and international documents, performed several key informant interviews, calculated the relevant indicators, and assessed the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the cardiovascular health service delivery. Result We found that most of the cardiovascular services are concentrated in urban areas, and suffer from poor access, quality, utilization, and coverage in most of the areas resulting in poor health outcomes. Though the services have recently improved due to increased primary care interventions, there is scope for the development of competent human resources, advancement of technologies, development of national protocols, and improved monitoring and supervision. Improved disease system including the medical recording and reporting mechanism to incorporate and reflect the true burden of CVD in Nepal is lacking. Conclusion Despite having health facilities from grassroots to the central level, availability, access, and quality of cardiovascular health services are poor. Further improvement and equitable expansion of promotive, preventive, diagnostic, referral, and rehabilitative cardiovascular services are needed to ensure universal health coverage. KEY WORDS CVDs, Health-service delivery, Infrastructure, Needs-assessment, NepalPublication Drug prescribing pattern and disease pattern in KMC Duwakot Health Center(Kathmandu University, 2004) Bajracharya, S; Pandey, S; Shakya, YLObjective To ascertain the disease pattern and drug prescribing pattern of the patients attending Kathmandu Medical College Health Center, Duwakot. Methods It is a cross sectional study conducted at Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) health Center, Duwakot during the month of Ashad to Mangshir, 2060. The sample size included was 292 patients attending the Health Center during this period. Prescription details were used as study tools to acquire information regarding patient’s name, age, complaints for which consultation was sought, investigations, diagnosis, name of the drug which is prescribed and instruction for diet. Results Age of patients in this study ranged from 0-80 years. A total of 165 (56.50%) were male and 127 (43.49%) were female. Out of 165 male of different age group ranging from 0-80 years, most of the patient i.e. 25(15.15%) were suffering from viral fever followed by cut/injury, allergy, diarrhoea, abdomen pain, fungal infection, HTN (hypertension), cold/cough/sore throat, sinusitis, muscular skeletal pain, joint pain, contact dermatitis, acute peptic disease (APD), headache, worm infestation, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, dizziness, eye infection, chest infection, calf and backache, viral rashes, hypo pigmentation, tension/depression, Urinary tract infection (UTI), coliolilethis, diabetes, p/r bleeding and insect bite poisoning. Out of 127 female of different age group ranging from 0-80 years 21 (16.54%) patients were suffering from viral fever, followed by backache, cold/cough / sore throat, allergy, weakness, acne, diarrhoea, sinusitis, flue, pneumonia, headache, acid peptic disease, dysmenorrhoea, Lower Respiratory Tract Infection and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection, muscular skeletal pain, joint pain, eye infection, Urinary Tract Infection, hypertension, abdomen pain, tonsillitis, tinea corporis, rhinitis, ear problems, insect bite poisoning, CSOM, trichiasis, uteric colic, otitis media, entropion and epiphora, worm infestation and pharyngitis. All together 384 drugs (23 category) were distributed to the different patient of different age group ranging from 0- 80 years, to cure the different types of diseases. Among the different categories of drugs prescribed antipyretic (31.8%), antibiotics (17.2%) and (Non steroid Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) (11.2%) were the most common. Conclusion The assessment of the existing prescribing practices in a health facility helps to identify the specific drug use problems, which need to be understood before any meaningful intervention can take place. A prescription provides an insight into a prescriber’s attitude to the disease being treated and the nature of health care delivery system in the community3. The average number of drugs per prescription is an important index of a prescription audit. It is preferable to keep the number of drugs per prescription as low as possible to minimize the risk of drug interactions, development of bacterial resistance and hospital costs 9. Key words: drug prescribing, health centre, disease patternPublication Human Resources for Cardiovascular Disease Management in Nepal: A National Need Assessment(Kathmandu University, 2021) Thapa, B; Sharma, S; Shrestha, A; Maharjan, R; Jha, N; Bajracharya, S; Shrestha, S; Neupane, T; Sapkota, BP; Koju, RP; Oli, NABSTRACT Background Human resources are the mainstay of the healthcare system. Higher numbers of health workers have better healthcare coverage and outcomes. Availability of trained human resources to address the exponential rise in cardiovascular disease in Nepal is a national concern. Objective To assess the need of human resources for cardiovascular disease management in Nepal. Method We conducted an exploratory sequential mixed-method study. We developed a task force and organized a national workshop to engage stakeholders and collect feedback on the research process. We did a desk review and conducted 24 key informant interviews. We did thematic analysis from the codes generated. Result There is no clear definition and required estimation of health workers for cardiovascular disease management. There is a shortage of health workers with 8.9 doctors, 20.8 nurses, 0.05 cardiologist/cardiac surgeon, 4.2 pharmacist, 10.2 laboratory technicians per 10,000 population. There is a comprehensive human resource plan but it does not provide details of human resources for cardiovascular disease management. There is a lack of public private collaboration for human resource management. However, there is production of human resources for cardiovascular disease management through pre-service specialized courses and in- service training. Conclusion A clear definition and estimation of health workers with stringent human resource plan for cardiovascular disease management is essential. The government can still address these gaps by establishing a well-equipped central health workforce unit and expanding collaboration with private sectors. KEY WORDS Cardiovascular diseases, Human Resource for health, National need assessment, NepalPublication Medical Products for Cardiovascular Disease Management in Nepal: a needs assessment study(Kathmandu University, 2021) Sapkota, S; Shrestha, S; Bista, D; Shrestha, A; Maharjan, R; Bajracharya, S; Jha, N; Koju, RP; Shrestha, RABSTRACT Background Medical Products and Technologies is a key component of the health system. Quality medicines and efficient management of the medical products can secure effective cardiovascular diseases management. Objective To collate information and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) associated with medical products and technology component for cardiovascular disease management in Nepal. Method This study is a part of a larger rapid assessment of Nepal’s health system for cardiovascular disease management and based on The Health System Assessment Approach: A How-To Manual (USAID). The authors conducted a desk review of documents related to the WHO “medical product and technology” building block component and key informant interviews using a pre-tested interview protocol. The first eight interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed inductively to generate a codebook; and the remaining, transcribed and deductively coded based on the codebook. Findings were categorised into relevant topical area and SWOT components. Result Nepal has laws and provisions for medicine regulation, pharmacovigilance, post marketing surveillance, registration and licensing provisions for pharmacy industries/ outlets, essential medicine lists and national formulary. These provisions also apply to medicines used for cardiovascular diseases. The challenge however, is the lack of effective implementation and monitoring, due to shortages of technical workforce and state of art information and technologies. Information on pharmaceutical expenditures for cardiovascular disease management is scarce; there are no standard national level guidelines that are consistently used to manage cardiovascular diseases in health facilities. Conclusion There are limited provisions and information on medical products for cardiovascular disease management in Nepal, and a need to strengthen existing provisions for medicine regulations and surveillance. KEY WORDS Cardiovascular Disease, Health System, Medicines, Medical Products, NepalPublication National Needs Assessment of Health Information System to Address Cardiovascular Diseases in Nepal: A Mixed Method Study(Kathmandu University, 2021) Karmacharya, RM; Shestha, AP; Shrestha, A; Bajracharya, S; Maharjan, R; Shrestha, S; Jha, N; Pyakurel, PABSTRACT Background Health information system is an integral component of a country’s capacity to integrate, process, report, and use information in improving health services. Objective This study aims to assess the infrastructure and capacity of the national Health information system to address cardiovascular diseases in Nepal. Method We adopted the United States Agency for International Development manual “The Health System Assessment Approach: A How-To Manual”, Version 2.0. Three topical areas: input, process and output, were identified. Stepwise approach for Health information system assessment was done. A desk review and key informant interview was performed. Audio recordings were transcribed in Nepali language and intercoder reliability was checked. Result The upgraded District Health Information Software 2.3 provides a comprehensive online data management solution. Sustainable funding to upgrade the system exists. Annual report provides performance of all the components of the health care delivery system. Data were reviewed quarterly. However, no dedicated section for cardiovascular diseases in the Health information system is present. Private health facilities are poorly represented. Strategic planning, management, and evaluation of the Health information system are lacking. Inadequacy of timeliness, completeness, and periodicity of the reporting still exist. Conclusion A separate section of cardiovascular diseases in the Health information system is required. Better reporting of private sectors and its inclusion in databases is of utmost importance. Adaptation in the recently introduced federal structure is key for development of Health information system in the country. KEY WORDS CVDs, Health information management system, needs assessment, indicators, NepalPublication Needs Assessment of Leadership and Governance in Cardiovascular Health in Nepal(Kathmandu University, 2021) Pradhan, PMS; Bhatt, RD; Pandit, R; Shrestha, A; Maharjan, R; Jha, N; Bajracharya, S; Shrestha, S; Koju, RP; Karmacharya, BMABSTRACT Background Good governance and leadership are essential to improve healthy life expectancy particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to epitomize the challenges and opportunities for leadership and good governance for the health system to address non-communicable diseases particularly cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Nepal. Objective The objective of this study was to understand and document CVD programs and policy formulation processes and to identify the government capacity to engage stakeholders for planning and implementation purposes. Method A national-level task force was formed to coordinate and steer the overall need assessment process. A qualitative study design was adopted using “The Health System Assessment Approach”. Eighteen indicators under six topical areas in leadership and governance in cardiovascular health were assessed using desk review and key informant interviews. Result Voice and accountability exist in planning for health from the local level. The government has shown a strong willingness and has a strategy to work together with the private and non-government sectors in health however, the coordination has not been effective. There are strong rules in place for regulatory quality, control of corruption, and maintaining financial transparency. The government frequently relies on evidence generated from large-scale surveys for health policy formulation and planning but research in cardiovascular health has been minimum. There is a scarcity of cardiovascular disease-specific protocols. Conclusion Despite plenty of opportunities, much homework is needed to improve leadership and governance in cardiovascular health in Nepal. The government needs to designate a workforce for specific programs to help monitor the enforcement of health sector regulations, allocate enough funding to encourage CVD research, and work towards developing CVD-specific guidelines, protocols, and capacity building. KEY WORDS Cardiovascular diseases, Governance, Leadership, Needs assessment, NepalPublication Polyarticular tuberculosis in a young boy: A rare presentation(Kathmandu University, 2007) Bajracharya, S; Nepal, P; Singh, MP; Singh, GKPolyarticular tuberculosis involving bilateral hip and bilateral knee joints without obvious pulmonary or disseminated form of tuberculosis in a young boy is presented along with literature review.Publication Status of Health Financing on Cardiovascular Diseases in Nepal -Findings from a National Needs Assessment(Kathmandu University, 2021) Shrestha, A; Parajuli, SB; Aryal, A; Shrestha, A; Maharjan, R; Jha, N; Bajracharya, S; Shrestha, S; Neupane, T; Poudel, U; Karmacharya, BM; Koju, RP; Dhimal, MABSTRACT Background Health financing is a major domain of health system building blocks. With the epidemiological transition and increasing trend of Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), it is crucial to assess the status of health financing to address the gap of prevention, control, and treatment of CVDs in Nepal. Objective This paper aims to assess the situation of healthcare financing on Cardiovascular diseases in Nepal. We framed three key functions of health system financing: (a) revenue collection, (b) pooling of resources, and (c) purchasing of services for this study. Method We used sequential explanatory mixed-method research design. We conducted desk reviews, analyzed secondary data on health financing followed by Key-Informant Interviews with five relevant policymakers and experts between February and September 2019. We obtained the Ethical clearance from the Nepal Health Research Council. Result Out of pocket (OOP) expenditure remains the highest source (52%) of total health care expenditure in Nepal, and two third of it is made for NCDs. Out of total current health expenditure on outpatient and inpatient services for fiscal year 2015/16, only 7% of total NCDs was spent on CVDs. Hypertension is the third-most utilized insurance service out of 36 CVD related services provided by the Health Insurance Board. The existing health related social service schemes covers the high costs associated with treatment, and streamlining these services including provider payment mechanisms with the health insurance program could open up opportunities to expand quality CVD services and make it accessible to the marginalized population. Conclusion Health Financing is the integral part of the health system. With the rising burden of cardiovascular diseases and its impact on impoverishment due to high OOP, integrated health care services, budget specification based on the evidence-based burden of disease such as CVD needs to be prioritized by the government. KEY WORDS Cardiovascular disease, Healthcare Financing, Needs Assessment, NepalPublication Treatment of grade IIIB opens tibial fracture by ilizarov hybrid external fixator(Kathmandu Unviversity, 2007) Kumar, P; Singh, GK; Bajracharya, SObjective: We evaluated the results of patients who were treated with Ilizarov hybrid external fixator for type IIIB open tibial fractures. Materials and methods: 35 Gustilo grade IIIB tibial fractures of age between 18 to 42 years (22 male and 13 female) in which 12 distal fourth tibia (D/4) of C1.1 (6), C1.3 (6), 12 upper fourth Tibia (U/4) of A2 (8) and A3 (4) according to AO classification and 11 Tibial plateau fractures of Schatzker type VI (5) , V(5), IV(1) . All tibial plateau, proximal fourth fractures and lower fourth fractures of tibia and fibula (Reversed Hybrid), treated with Ilizarov hybrid fixator using two Ilizarov 5/8 rings and AO External fixator were followed up to 12-52 months. Results: D/4 fractures were united at 31.1667±8.3046 wks, U/4 at 24.00±5.2915 and Tibial plateau at 15.545±4.160 weeks (p-0.00). ROM in tibial plateau type IV 130°±00, type V 124°±8.94° , type VI 125°±7.0711°, D/4 of type C1.1 (50°±0.00), type C1.3 (43° ±5.7755) whereas full ROM in U/4 fractures. Pin tract infection occurred in 21% of cases. Pain on walking in 20% of cases of type VI tibial plateau fractures and 80% of cases of type IV and V. Problem free in rest of parameter of function of VI and 100% problem in IV and V. Pain at rest observed in 20% of cases in type V. In 66.67% U/4 fractures had pain on walking but no other functions were compromised. In 33% D/4 fractures of C1.1 type had pain on walking only and had 1cm of shortening. Conclusion: On the basis of our experience, we suggest adopting this method for functional limb salvage after extensive complex high-energy injuries. This fixator is safe and versatile, effective in providing stability and allowing early rehabilitation, although the indications for its use are very relatively specific. Key words: Ilizarov hybrid external fixator, tibial plateau, upper fourth and distal fourth fractures, Clinical and Functional outcome.