Introduction: Hypertension is a cardiovascular disorder rapidly emerging as a major health problem in developing countries. Uncontrolled or poorly managed hypertension leads to several complications such as coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and kidney disease. These complications account for approx 9.4 million deaths worldwide every year. Consequently, it is an urgent need for authorities to act upon this issue. This study was done to determine the prevalence of Hypertension in Deurali village of Nuwakot. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the Deurali Village of Nuwakot district from May 2019 to July 2019. Ethical approval was taken from the Ethical Review Board of Nepal Health Research Council. A simple random sampling method was applied. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions along with the use of a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was done. Results: The study showed the prevalence of hypertension among the adult population to be 20 (8.5%) [8.5%±1.83% at 95% CI]. Prevalence was found to be higher among female than male. Age group more than 60 were major sufferers of the condition. The study population consisted of the majority of  Tamang community. Almost 213 (91%) participants were reported to have taken alcohol at some point in their life whereas only 104 (45%) were smokers. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension was found to be lower than the previous study done in similar settings.

Introduction: Voluntary blood donation is a reliable source of increasing the demand for blood transfusion. Medical students are the potential pool of blood donors. This study aims to find the prevalence of blood donation practice among medical students of a medical college in Nepal. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a medical college of Nepal among students studying from the first year to final year MBBS. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of the Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences (Ref no. 245). A stratified random sampling technique was used to collect data. A self-administered pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016. Results: The prevalence of blood donation practice among medical students of the medical college is 41 (22.20%) (17.35-27.05 at 95% Confidence Interval). The practice of blood donation is seen more among students of the final year 15 (35.71%) and the least among first year 3 (8.57%). Most of the donors, 24 (58.54%), have donated blood only once before. The most common reasons for donating and not donating blood before are ‘behavior of altruism’ 12 (29.27%) and ‘I am not fit/disapproved’ 44 (30.56%) respectively. Conclusions: This study shows less prevalence of blood donation practice among medical students. It points to the need for more extensive studies to explore the factors deterring medical students from donating blood. Definitive strategies are also needed to encourage medical students to increased voluntary participation in blood donation.

Introduction: Communication is an important aspect of the medical profession. Doctor-patient communication plays a significant role in health care delivery. This study aims to find outpatient department patient satisfaction in doctor-patient communication in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal in the month of August 2019. Validated questionnaire of Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, consisting of 80 items, originally developed by Willis H. Ware and his colleagues were used and distributed to the patient in the outpatient department of the hospital. Their satisfaction level for doctor-patient communication was assessed on a five-point scale. The questionnaire was distributed randomly to the patient attending the hospital outpatient department during one month period. Results: Out of the total participants, 420 (96%) at 95% CI (95.07–96.93) respondents reported that they were satisfied regarding communication with their doctors. Among the patients, 109 (24.0%) visited the department of medicine followed by obstetrics and gynaecology 85 (19.4%). Conclusions: The majority of participants were found to be satisfied with the doctor-patient communication. While this study has shown that the communication in the doctor-patient relationship was seen to be satisfactory, this might not show the generalized picture of the country. We should also think of ways to further improve the communication in our hospitals.

In the healthcare system, leadership has never been more crucial. Initiatives to improve health care in underdeveloped nations frequently fail, not for lack of clinical and public health understanding, but rather for lack of management ability. However, there are currently few possibilities for thorough leadership development at any level of career. This short communication highlights the success of the International Public Health Management Development Program by the Nepal Medical Association in conjunction with the Indian Embassy in Nepal, financed by the Ministry of External Affairs under the Indian Technical Education Corporation.

Globally, millions of surgeries are performed each year to compliment and manage a diverse set of medical conditions. Adverse surgical outcomes constitute a major proportion of avoidable death and disabilities in the hospital, especially in low-income countries like Nepal. A comprehensive study on the standards of surgical procedures and its institutional regulations is missing. We discuss here the importance of surgical regulation based on it’s financial as well as healthcare implications in the Nepalese healthcare system. Keywords: surgical procedures; health care facilities; safety; surgery; WHO.