2005 Expedition

The 2005 edition was aimed to realize all that not managed in 2004.

Due to last minute renouncing of the expedition by certain members of the expedition, and the defections of two team members on our arrival to Kathmandu, the project in the Manang area has had to be postponed until the end of march/middle of april 2006. At Kathmandu we conducted a course on the use of all our medical-scientific apparatus, for five local doctors who had made themselves available for the project. Another two doctors, one german and the other one english, came to our base, the Hotel Tibet, to offer their collaboration for the next phases of the operation. Another group of Nepalese medics have declared themselves ready and available for a new phase of the project that District of Dolpo is interested in. Notwithstanding all this assistance, we worked constantly. All the Diacron reagent analysis kits were used, as were also the paper supplies of Aquila electrocardiograph , and the bottles of gel for the Aquila ultrasound scanner. Sad to say, the finding of persons needing cure in Nepal presents no problem at all! At the end we had also used up all our medical supplies and made use of our entire presidia of surgeons, and we eventually had to turn to a kind and co-operative wholesaler in Kathmandu who sold us all we needed at prices that were more than honest.
A group of 19 tourists who were to trek to Everest, offered themselves for "testing" (even if we have been using it for 12 years) the Fitoginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) produced by Solgar , for the prevention of the AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), first undergoing blood tests during and on return from Everest Base Camp. The results we gained were more than satisfactory and confirmed those already yielded by tests with other groups in previous years. But the study continues...

We were invited to visit the Tibetan Refugees clinic in Swayambhunath (close to the "Monkeys Temple"), carried out by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), together with American Himalayan Foundation, in november of 1998, within the Reception Centre for the Tibetan Refugeess, created by the European Union in the same year. It is here that all the Tibetans flock when fleeing occupied Tibet and stay to cure and rest themselves after an exhausting winter journey undertaken without adequate clothing and shoes. Unfortunately the border between the two countries may only be crossed over a frozen river in the wintertime, when the adverse climatic conditions render the reconnaissance by patrols of chinese soldiers less frequent, and when the rushing river torrents become iced over. This year the river was late in freezing, so the Tibetan Refugees begun arriving in numbers only at the end of september, and their number continued increasing right up until march 2006. They arrive at the end of their strenght, frozen-stiff (the necessity for amputation for frost-bite is not that infrequent), starving and with medical pathologies of all types. We stocked up the clinic with all types of medicine and medicinal materials. We shall take further medical assistance with us on our next visit but, in the meanwhile, are seeking the means to bring two boys (Kunchock and Dorjee) and a girl (Sonam), to Italy, for treatment in specialist centres (for severe burns and orthopaedic surgery).

On request and with the valuable support of the General Manager of Yeti Airlines we travelled to teh District of Dolpo, one of the poorest of Nepal, far off the beaten tourist track, even if one of the most beautiful but remote areas in Nepal. To get to Dunai, the Dolpo District capital, one needs to take two separate flights from Kathmandu. The first to Nepalgunj, which has a hot tropical climate and an unbelievable humidity. From there one takes another flight in a small plane to land at Juphal, and then proceed on foot (the only means of transport from that moment on), to finally arrive at the marvelous Dolpo (the film "Himalaya" was completely shot in this District). The Dolpo is divided in Lower and Upper. Dunai, a some three hour walk from Juphal, is to be found in Lower Dolpo, a zone controlled by the government authority. Practically the whole of Upper Dolpo is under maoist control. In view of the purpose of our expedition, and thanks to valuable friends on the spot (the very friendly family Upadhaya and the helpful guide Chandra Shahi, that knows everybody and everything!) , we were given maximum co-operation by everyone. Nothing and nobody has ever either placed our security in jeopardy or under discussion in all the years we have visited Nepal, a country in which security of the tourist is imperative to all.

We visited many villages in Lower Dolpo . For the greater part, the inhabitants of these have never set eyes on a tourist! The social-health conditions we found there are byond even one's most far-fetched imagination, and not of the very best. We therefore accepted a request for aid by the General Manager of Yeti Airlines immediately, and so as of march 2006, we are also to begin operations in Dolpo. On our first visit there, we held meetings with many of the village heads, who were most enthusiastic about our medical aid programme. We discussed prior necessities both with them and with the local school teachers, other than with the District Officer. Initial issues were discussed and laid out, such as an elementary programme of personal hygiene and incentives to use a feeding spoon, as well as other simple but efficacious precautions for child health and security (burns from boiling liquids are a daily occurrence). We suggested the acquisition of medicine directly from our Kathmandu wholesaler, who will handle the orders via fax (satellite communications do indeed work!). Following our request, Yeti Airlines have agreed to transport the needed medicines free of charge. At the present the Dolpo inhabitants pay 400/500% more than the fixed retail price of the medicine in Kathmandu. This excess has been justified by reason of transport costs and payments to the person who has to travel to Kathmandu to buy it!. in planning phase are some handy educative posters illustrating , in nepalese style, with drawings and writtens in nepalese and english, to avoid the inhalation of smoke and fumes from cooking by infants, and the risk of burns from boiling liquid, as well as hints for personal hygiene and the use of the spoon instead of hands for feeding, at least in those places where washing with soap and clean water is not always possible.

There is a lot to do, and it requires everyone's help : even yours !

The work carried out by the expedition has been documented in film. A book containing photographs will also be printed.