"...our hearts are small"

Those children standing in the

line were beautiful, graceful, simple. Calm, sincere, she kept teasing from time to time. Some were looking at the volunteers, forgetting to wipe the snot from their noses, some were sitting on their knees. Some were standing with pursed lips in fear, some were holding pants without a belt. Those many colors of childhood were reminding me of my own childhood.

I was with the children of Malika Secondary School in Bajura Badimalika Municipality, Martadi. Students from other nearby schools were also undergoing heart tests. In the organization of Nepal Heart Disease Prevention Foundation and Rotary Club of Patan, we went to 3 districts of the Far West during the examination of rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease among school children aged 5 to 15 years.

Despite being a geographically difficult Himalayan district, all means of transport reach Martadi by climbing the hill from Sanfebagar in Achham through the mid-hill road. The path is small, winding. To cross a mountain, you have to reach the top of a mountain, and to cross a river, you have to reach the gap between two mountains. We reached Martadi in the car from a little above the clear river that flowed hugging the rocks between the big peaks. Martadi Bazar is located on a level ground between the hills - small houses, market, hotels, buses, tractors, jeeps, big shops. This place is the departure point of Badimalika, a religious tourist destination.

School volunteers, scout brothers and sisters were deployed to line up the children and provide necessary support. While the doctors are busy with the heart examination, the technicians and cardiologists are engrossed in video x-rays of the heart. In total, 4 thousand 557 children were tested along with the heart of the teachers and some others. A video of the suspect's heart was being x-rayed. Corresponding treatment assistance was also being arranged for people diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease or congenital heart disease. Some had to take medicine only, while some were brought to Kathmandu and arranged to undergo free surgery. After the school program, a local public meeting was held and an interaction was also held to raise public awareness about heart.

Dr. before reaching Martadi. A team of 20 of us led by Prakashraj Regmi conducted heart tests on children in Mangalsen, Achham. A heart disease camp for more than 750 civilians was also completed at Achham Hospital.

At Mangalsen, our group was divided into two. One towards Shodsha Devi School, the other towards the hospital. Children lined up at school. Those children standing in order looked like a beautiful garland on this earth. All the children were disciplined and participated in their heart tests.

Doctors examined the common people who came to check the heart at the district hospital, ECG by the technician, video X-ray of the heart by the cardiologist. The blood test was easy because it was in the hospital. Medicines were distributed free of charge. Necessary arrangements were being made for those who had to undergo surgery.

We found that MDGP and other doctors provided exemplary service at the district hospital. Despite the old physical infrastructure and medical equipment, remarkable services were available based on appropriate skills and knowledge. It is possible to have a child through surgery. Greetings - To the doctors and health workers working in this hilly district. Brothers and sisters from Karnali Institute of Health Sciences and the local polytechnic school helped a lot.

In Mangalsen, Valakusari with eyewitnesses of the conflict period remained an unforgettable history for the group members. Friends were saddened to hear the news that was only known through the radio during the conflict period.

The next day we went down and reached Bayalpata Hospital. Discussion program on rheumatic heart disease with doctors and health workers was successful. On the same day, we went to Martadi after examining the hearts of children in two schools in Sanfebagar.

After the execution of Martadi's work, everyone was excited - climbing Khaptad. Everyone got ready early in the morning as they were going to climb Khaptad through Kanda from Martadi. We all got stuck in the car - shaking our lives right and left on the potholed road, eating a little bit of dust, moving around in different cars and having fun - singing, gossiping, quietly enjoying the scenery.

We started our journey after eating wheat bread, niguro and curd. After some time uphill the forest started. Let's say that a horse climbs up a hill in the forest, in some places a stone ladder, in some places holding on to plants. Sano Patan, the beautiful Patan started after the last forest climb through the lake's buffalo herd. But, up

We were just about to sit alone in the Natyaswara temple in Katnasath, when the wind and rain caught us all. Fatigue, wind, rain, cold, all died and stayed at Khaptad Baba Hotel and Shanti Lodge. The tea and hot water that was being cooked by burning the mudha became like nectar for everyone. Everyone took turns to dry their clothes by sitting around the agena with the burnt mudha. The

was a brilliant night out. After the rain stopped, the bright stars began to appear. A very quiet village far away from all kinds of sound and light pollution of electricity, cars, radio, human noise. Even if there is no moon, the light of the stars is fine. Experienced a different feeling in the lap of nature.

The next day after seeing the fall of the beautiful Khaptad, hardly anyone remembered the previous day's sorrow. Far and wide green lawns, small creeks flowing in the middle, white grass flowers, salla trees on the tip! The wet fields were getting dry as the sun was shining, the buffaloes were grazing.

is a must see place – Khaptad Baba's ashram and Baba's bathing pond. Talking about Baba, nature, tourism, we meditated - in the full joy of coolness, sweetness, beauty. The destination of the same day is Bajhang. Khaptad is not a tourist trip between Bajura-Bajhang - Deshdarshan. This trip was in between heart test trips.

To get down to Darugaon, we went ahead through another beautiful Patan. On the way, we went down to Ohralo, chatting with the school siblings who came from Bajhang on an educational visit. Pain in the legs when walking uphill, pain in the knees when walking downhill. We reached Darugaon before daylight, struggling not to walk up and down daily. After eating, we headed towards Chainpur, Bajhang. After running for an hour in the jeep, we crossed the Seti river bridge and reached Tamel towards Chainpur.

Chainpur is a historical place situated on the banks of Seti River, the palace of Jai Prithvi Bahadur. It was a bit warm because it was near the river. The next day we started the heart test at the Kindergarten and the fourth oldest school in Nepal, Satyawadi Secondary School, Bhopur. All the teams worked with equal zeal and speed. And, throughout the day, we examined the hearts of 4,897 children. A video x-ray of the adult's heart was also done.

Tomorrow morning we reached Dhangadhi by bus for 12 hours. From there we returned to Kathmandu. This journey made Deshatan familiar with the undying smiles of thousands of children from faraway places. Actually had a satisfactory service provider trip.