A Statement From the Founder

Professor Dr. Sangita Basnet Koirala

I trained and worked in the Unites States of America, as a Pediatric Critical Care specialist, then returned home to Nepal with the vision of sharing my expertise to improve the delivery of pediatric critical care. The extreme disparity in care and outcome of critically ill children between the US and Nepal, I realized, is not because of the difference in skill set of doctors and nurses but because of extreme poverty. Here, in Nepal, the lack of resources may be an important contributing factor, but the utilization of even those limited resources is very difficult. The family just cannot afford it. Doctors are constantly asked to choose the less expensive or no-management option while they know that treatment and saving the child could be possible; if the family just had a little bit more money. It is heartbreaking when parents opt to take their child home to, most likely, not survive because they cannot afford pediatric intensive care beds and care, even in a public hospital. That is how the idea for Save Little Souls Foundation (SLSF) was borne. We pledge to support children with management that charity funds from the hospital does not allow. If a few thousand Rupees (a few hundred US dollars) will give a critically ill child a chance to get better, be a productive citizen of Nepal, and bring happiness to the family; a child who may have cancer a chance at early diagnosis and treatment which would determine life and death; then SLSF will strive to make it happen. I know if we all put our heart and souls into it, we will bring smiles to little souls.