Posted by Marc McLeran

The Rotary project, H2OpenDoors, has sent a SunSpring solar-powered water purification system to Banepa, Nepal on May 18 to be immediately installed at Scheer Memorial Hospital, 45 miles west of the earthquake's epicenter. The hospital continues to be a major triage center for victims, and operates with minimal electricity and limited access to safe drinking water. For many days following the quake, procedures were performed outside while the buildings were examined for structural integrity and aftershocks rolled on.

"The most critical need, according to the Harvard medical team that was dispatched with our rapid response partners, is safe water," says Jon Kaufman, director of the Rotary project. Additional permanent installations will follow in August as the recovery phase begins. H2OpenDoors and it’s Rotary partners in both 5150 and 5170 districts, will be working with the clubs in Nepal to provide multiple systems that include tanks and distribution. As with previous disasters in Haiti and the Philippines, safe drinking water becomes harder to come by after the initial rescue stage winds down and emergency supplies become scarce. This makes the population vulnerable to cholera outbreaks most often afflicting the very young and the very old. The best way to prevent the spread of disease and to maintain optimal health is to increase the access to pure, safe drinking water.

Fundraising continues as the H2OpenDoors-Nepal expedition prepares to leave in August. If you would like to assist in this effort, donations can be made at www.H2OpenDoors.org. All contributions are acknowledged by the Rotary Foundation of Peninsula Sunrise, a 501(c)3 charitable organization. If you would like to start a grant, contact Jon Kaufman for any questions at jon@H2OpenDoors.org.