Emergency helicopter evacuation for vulnerable Gurkha widow
You may have read recently that Nepal is in the midst of the worst monsoon it has experienced for years. We are doing everything we can to keep our Gurkha pensioners safe.
Ree Gaun is a remote village in Dhading, central Nepal. Located around six hours from the nearest town, it is home to Gurkha widow Plekchom Tamang as well as her son and his family, which includes her carer, daughter-in-law, Basmaya Tamangni.
World War Two veteran, Kamansing
Plekchom was married to World War Two veteran, Gurkha Rifleman Kamansing Ghale before he sadly passed away back in 2012. Kamansing fought in Burma, Singapore and Japan before being released when the Army demobbed following the end of the conflict in 1947, after which he returned to Nepal with no Army pension.
A difficult life in Nepal
The couple had relied on the pension paid to him by The Gurkha Welfare Trust and when he passed away this was continued via monthly payments to Plekchom herself. With no other sustainable source of income, the entire family have come to rely on these pension payment for life’s essentials, such as food and fuel.
Today, at 95 years old, Plekchom requires constant care, which is lovingly provided to her via her daughter-in-law. As a result the Trust also pays Basmaya a monthly Carer’s Allowance, the equivalent of approx. £51 per month. The sum allows her to continue to look after her mother-in-law in the absence of being able to work.
Entire village at risk
Following reports of substantial flood damage in the region, the team, accompanied by our Field Director and Ambassador Lt Col Johnny Fenn, headed there this week.
A land mass above the village has slipped, putting the whole community at risk of being washed away. In order to stay safe from the potential landslide, the villagers have left and are staying in the makeshift huts nearby. Plekchom and her family have also moved into a temporary home. The makeshift hut is wrapped with plastic sheets with a CGI roof, with no access to a safe toilet.
Watch the team in action
Speaking from Ree Gaun village, Field Director Johnny Fenn talks about the dangers of the monsoon – made all the more real on the team’s return journey when a landslide blocked the road ahead.
Emergency helicopter evacuation
Having assessed the living situation and the health of Plekchom, the decision was made to extract her from the village and move her to Pokhara to receive emergency medical assistance.
With most of the surrounding roads becoming borderline impenetrable, the decision was made to use a helicopter to move her.
She was collected this morning (1 August) at 0830 and arrived in Pokhara at 0900. She is being assessed at the Charak Hospital and will then be transferred to our Residential Home in Kaski for vulnerable Gurkha veterans and widows to recover.
