Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital

Transcription

1 Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital Visitor Tips Information Sheet Welcome! Thank you for your willingness to give your time and expertise. The following information will help you plan your trip. You will find a more detailed information sheet in your apartment when you arrive. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Brief History: SMAH was founded in the late 1950s by Seventh-day Adventist missionaries at the directive of King Mahendra. The hospital s mission has always been to serve the people of Kavre District with quality healthcare and compassion. Compound: The compound is gated and contains the hospital, business offices, canteen, housing, and an elementary school. Smoking and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on the compound. Money: ATMs and money changers are available and reliable. Please notify your bank and credit card company that you are traveling. It s advisable to have some cash for emergencies. You can change money at the airport if you wish. Reading about Nepal To help prepare for your trip to Nepal, there are some websites that are worth checking out. (Click at the end to read Part 2.)

2 Arrival Please make sure we know your arrival details: date, time, airline and flight number. We will have a van waiting for you at the airport and the driver will be holding a sign for Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital. If by chance you have a delay en route, and this has happened, and you discover you will not arrive when you planned, please text us to let us know your new arrival details: (977) and (977) (Send to both if possible.) Thank you. However, if you are unable to text, which has happened, and you don t see the hospital s van, call one of the numbers and we will advise. Ask a porter for a phone. You won t need the 977, but will instead dial 01 before the listed numbers. If by chance you will need to take a taxi, we will advise and if needed, will ask you to go back inside to the Pre-paid Taxi Stand to order a taxi, which should cost about Rs (U.S. $ 25). Prices are subject to change. Note that the driver will have to make a round trip. Feel free to negotiate. We are about 17 mi/26 km from Kathmandu and up to an hour s drive. If your delay gets you to Nepal in the middle of the night, the Summit Residency Airport Hotel is right across the street. Just keep us informed of your whereabouts. Our driver should be there to pick you up, but we include this information in case of an emergency, and emergencies do happen! Store: If you arrive during the day, feel free to ask the driver to take you to Bhat-Bhateni, a large store on the way home which takes credit cards where you can buy food/drink and other supplies. Visa You can get a visa at the airport when you arrive or online before you leave home. (Below please find the link to Nepal s Immigration website.) You will need a passport photo for your visa if you get it at the airport and you may have to wait in line to fill out their online application. There is a photo booth in the airport, although there s no guarantee it will be working when you arrive! (You might want to bring some extra passport photos, just in case.) If you apply online from home, you must upload a photo onto the application. Check online for current visa prices and bring enough cash for the length of visa you want. Check to see if your country s currency is accepted, and if not, get US dollars at your bank. Here is the information for your visa application: House Number Scheer Memorial Hospital; Street Name--P.O. Box 88; Phone--(977) ; Ward (zip code)--1; Municipality (city) Banepa-1; District (county) Kavrepalanchowk.

3 Above is the website of Nepal s immigration office. Check it out remember there may be new details that have changed just recently. Under Visa Info, find Tourist Visa for current information. Yes, you must apply for a tourist visa. Under Rules & Regulations, you will find the most current rules, regulations, and fees. You will find Direct Visa Link to Online Application, after you click the Tourist Visa link. If you go ahead and fill this out before you come, remember, as it says, it s only good for 15 days, so don t do it too early. It will save you time at the airport. Housing Information Housing: SMAH will provide you with a modestly furnished apartment that includes bedding and a towel. All apartments have a kitchen or kitchenette. If you are single, you may have to share an apartment with someone of the same gender. It s a good idea to bring a travel flashlight, alarm clock, and shower shoes. Electricity: The hospital has a generator, so we are fortunate to have power 24 hours a day. However, electricity is expensive, and we will ask you to please conserve where you can. Nepal operates on 220V and uses two-prong or three-prong outlets. You ll have to bring any travel adaptor plugs you may need. If you bring any travel appliances that are 110V, please bring a travel converter set. Internet: Apartments have Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections. Wi-Fi is also available in the hospital building. Clothing, Etc. Clothing: Your western clothing is appropriate as long as you dress modestly. Older men and women still wear traditional clothing, but Nepal is slowly becoming more modern and you ll see many people wearing western clothing. However, Banepa is a conservative town and this is why we ask you to please dress modestly. Bring good walking shoes roads are often uneven and dusty. You will be expected to leave your shoes at the door when you enter someone s house or a church, so keep that in mind.

4 Medical students and doctors please bring your own lab coat and stethoscope with you. Laundry: Some apartments have washers. There is also a laundry onsite that will do laundry for a nominal fee. Toiletries: All toiletries (including feminine products) are available in Nepal many western brands are available. Miscellaneous Health: Please check with the Center for Disease Control to see what vaccinations you may need and make sure you are up-to-date. Also bring an adequate supply of any vitamins and probiotics you will want for your stay. Water: All apartments have running water, although sometimes the water runs out. You should only drink boiled and filtered water. All apartments have kettles and water filters. Food: The hospital operates a canteen, and there are several restaurants in Banepa as well as a few grocery stores. Different kinds of tea and coffee are readily available; however, if you like decaf you should bring some with you as it s not always available. Mobile / Cell Phone: If you have an unlocked phone with a SIM card, you can purchase a SIM card very inexpensively and then buy recharge minutes if you so desire. Inexpensive phones can also be bought here. Sites Nearby: Dhulikhel is about ten minutes southeast and is famous for views of the Annapurna mountain range there are several nice restaurants there which all have good views of the mountains. Panauti is a Newari village about 30 minutes south and has many ancient shrines. Bhaktapur is between Banepa and Kathmandu and is one of three medieval city-states. Its Durbar Square has many ancient shrines. Nagarkot is about an hour s drive NW from Banepa and sports amazing mountain views. Many people in Banepa are Newari you might be interested to read about their culture and customs before arriving.

5 Travel and Health Insurance: Yes, it s a good idea and you will need your own. Weather: Nepal s climate is influenced by maritime and continental factors, and has four distinct seasons. Spring lasts from March to May, and is warm with rain showers and temperatures around 24 C. Summer. From June to August, is the monsoon season when the hills turn lush and green, and it rains almost every day you may want to bring your travel umbrella. Temperatures can get quite warm, up to 30 C and more during heat waves. During this season, trekking in most of Nepal is difficult and uncomfortable, the trails being very muddy. Autumn, from September to November, is cool with clear skies and is the most popular season for trekking. Temperatures are not too warm, with daily maximum about 25 C and cool nights with minimum of 10 C, it usually does not rain for more than one or two days during the entire autumn and the winter season. In winter, from December to February, it is cold at night with temperatures sometimes below zero. However, the maximum temperatures can still reach up to 20 C. Then the mountains are covered with snow including some high hills. you are planning to be here during these months, please bring warm clothing. (Bonus of coming during these months: You can see the Himalayas!) Looking forward to seeing you in Nepal