Technology Khabar ६ मंसिर २०८२, शनिबार
काठमाडौं ।
HAPSA Nepal launched its Community Emergency Response Toolkit (CERT) mobile application today at Durbar High School, Rani Pokhari, alongside its inaugural hands-only CPR and Choking First Aid training for teachers and students at a public school.
This milestone marks a major advancement in building community-level emergency preparedness in Nepal’s schools and neighborhoods.
Developed by HAPSA Nepal with technical support from Sadak Saathi, CERT offers simple, practical emergency and trauma care videos in Nepali.
The content includes guidance on choking first aid, bleeding control, burns, fractures, poisoning, cardiac arrest, and more. All videos were originally produced by Global Health Media Project, with content expertise from HAPSA’s founder Dr. Ramu Kharel and other international emergency care specialists. HAPSA Nepal translated and adapted the materials to ensure usability across both rural and urban settings.
HAPSA Nepal (Health Advancement Programs to Serve All) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equitable emergency care across rural Nepal.
HAPSA strengthens first responders with lifesaving skills, improves prehospital care pathways, and leads community-centered disaster preparedness and relief initiatives.
“Empowering communities to act quickly and confidently in emergencies is essential to building a safety net for Nepal,” said Dr. Ramu Kharel, Founder of HAPSA Nepal and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Brown University in the United States.
“HAPSA has been working to advance community-focused healthcare since 2013. Our vision is to integrate essential lifesaving skills into the national curriculum so every Nepali student grows up prepared to respond in an emergency.”
Following the launch, 40 teachers and students took part in hands-on CPR and choking first aid sessions. “After cardiac arrest or a choking event, quick action saves lives. We’ve been training police and other responders across Nepal, and now we will work with schools as well,” said Dr. Kamal Thapa, Emergency Medicine Physician and Executive Lead of HAPSA Nepal’s CPR Program, who led the training program today.
From a trauma care perspective, “stabilizing fractures, controlling bleeding, and safely moving trauma victims can save lives. These videos teach non–health care workers how to help before victims reach the hospital,” said Dr. Mandeep Pathak, Orthopedic Surgeon at Bayalpata Hospital and HAPSA’s Executive Lead for Rural Trauma Programs.
Representing Sadak Saathi, Nipuna Neupane added, “Supporting the development of CERT aligns with our mission to use technology to solve real-world problems. This app brings lifesaving knowledge directly into people’s hands.” Sadak Sathi is a youth-led movement working to make Nepal’s roads and communities safer through technology, education, and innovation.
The program was attended by teachers, Nepal police, Armed Police Force, Ministry of Education and Technology representatives, Ministry of Health and Population representatives, and other relevant organizations.
Other topics discussed included the importance of bystander protection law for community response and the role of teachers and police in healthcare in Nepal. Mrs. Sharada Poudel, the principal of Durbar High School was the chief guest. HAPSA Nepal’s president Mr. Pankaj Bhattarai, concluded the event with a vote of thanks.
HAPSA has already trained over 650 Armed Police Force personnel and is now collaborating with the Ministry of Education and Technology to integrate CPR and choking first aid training into the national public school curriculum. The CERT app will further expand lifesaving skills to schools, police units, and community groups nationwide as part of HAPSA’s mission to create a country of lifesavers.
प्रकाशित: ६ मंसिर २०८२, शनिबार
