Reducing Maternal Mortality in Nepal by Diffusing Ultrasound Expertise

Dr. Mingmar Sherpa is a rural physician and former Head of the Department of Health, Nepal. He was raised in the Sherpa settlement of Solukhumbu, in the foothills of Mt. Everest, a region famous for the world's most formidable climbers. Unlike his peers, Dr. Sherpa did not take up climbing but became a physician instead - the first physician from the Sherpa community.

Dr. Sherpa spent many years as a rural physician in the remote Himalayan outpost of Phaplu, where he tended to a range of ailments from pneumonia to appendicitis. A major turning point in his career was when a pregnant lady died of postpartum hemorrhage. He resolved to address maternal morbidity in the remote areas of Nepal. He established an ultrasound training program for midwives and nurses, teaching them to spot high risk pregnancies, so that an early referral to an obstetrician could be made to safely manage the pregnancy. Dr. Sherpa's efforts have led to a measurable dent in maternal morbidity in Western Nepal and the Khumbu region. His work shows that targeted imaging saves lives, and that access can be improved by democratizing technologies."

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