3D printing an increasing source of medical aid in earthquake-devastated Nepal

3D printing an increasing source of medical aid in earthquake-devastated Nepal

“3D printing has become an increasing source of medical aid in earthquake-stricken Nepal. In the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country in April 2015, killing almost 9,000 people, Nepalese communities have been struggling to survive.

Health clinics are largely overwhelmed and under-resourced. Local charities say that a series of complications including poor road infrastructure, a lack of finances, and slow bureaucracy means a lengthy supply-chain process. Additionally, as most of Nepal’s medical equipment is manufactured in China or India, local health clinics struggle to purchase any supplies that aren’t available in bulk.

Consequently, medical items taken for granted in Western hospitals, such as tweezers, fetoscopes, and otoscopes, can take up to three months to arrive to Nepalese clinics that need them. And for a country still reeling from a natural disaster of such a high magnitude, lengthy wait times aren’t a viable option.

In response to the crisis, the US-based charity Field Ready has established itself in Bhotechaur. Yet while another American charity in South Asia isn’t exactly news, Field Ready offers something different: 3D printed medical resources…”

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