The state of emergency medical care in Nepal is abysmal.

For example, if you are sick or injured and want an ambulance:

You must find the telephone number of an ambulance organization, because there is no telephone number for medical emergencies.

Ambulance organizations generally have only one or two ambulances, and it’s possible that the ambulances of the organization you telephoned are far across the traffic-choked streets of the city. However, there is no coordination or communication between the ambulance organizations, so you won’t be referred to one that can reach you sooner.

After you telephone for an ambulance, you will probably wait 30 to 45 minutes for it to come, not including the time required to go to a hospital. The ambulance may not arrive at all.

The ambulance will have only one worker – the driver – who has absolutely no medical training and won’t provide any health care.

Your family or friends will probably have to carry you into the ambulance, which they generally do in a disorganized manner that can cause you immense pain.

If the ambulance has any medical equipment, it is only an oxygen tank with a mask. You probably won’t get any treatment until you reach a hospital.

You may actually be transported in a way that makes your condition worse:

Because major bleeding isn’t stopped and blocked airways aren’t opened, people routinely die in ambulances due to easily preventable causes.

Fractured bones and dislocations aren’t splinted, which can damage nerves and blood vessels.

People are pulled from vehicle accidents without any protective measures for spinal injuries, which can cause permanent disability.

Only 10% of Emergency Room patients take ambulances to hospitals. Most take taxis, even when they’re in critical condition, because they can get a taxi in less time than an ambulance, and usually the only advantage of traveling by ambulance is having a place to lie down. Due to this lack of demand, ambulances remain inactive through most of the day, neither providing treatment to a significant number of people nor earning a profit. Ambulance programs in Nepal are generally financially unsustainable and rely on continual support from NGOs or hospitals.

Read about the ambulances currently used in Kathmandu.