Nepal Medical Relief: San Diego Team Treats 400 After Floods
A 17-person group from Sweeping Change overcame landslides and a bear attack emergency to provide care in Rasuwa District.
By Stephen Collins ·
Residents in the Rasuwa District of Nepal regained access to basic medical care this month after a 17-member team from a San Diego nonprofit completed a four-day clinic. The group arrived to treat injuries and infections in communities isolated by recent flash floods.
The team, led by Michael Sohmer, treated nearly 400 patients during the mission. Sohmer, a retired clinical pharmacist and founder of Sweeping Change, noted that many residents had been cut off from their medications for weeks. He reported a high prevalence of infections among those seeking treatment.
The journey to the site was complicated by severe weather. The original route to the village was blocked by landslides and heavy rain. After waiting several days for conditions to improve, the team used alternate roads before renting a helicopter to transport personnel and supplies to the mountainous region north of Kathmandu.
Upon arrival, the group faced an immediate crisis. A local resident sustained a serious wound in a bear attack. Sohmer decided to return the patient to Kathmandu for specialized care using the same helicopter. The rest of the team then set up the clinic to continue the planned outreach.
Financial support for the trip grew after a local television station aired a report on Sohmer’s preparations last month. Donations to a GoFundMe campaign helped purchase necessary supplies. Sohmer described the response from the community as a source of gratitude for the team.
Beyond physical treatment, the team observed significant emotional distress among the population. Many residents were grieving relatives lost in the floods. Sohmer indicated that the group provided limited psychological support but wished they had more capacity to address the depression and trauma evident in the community.
Sohmer is scheduled to return to San Diego next week. He is already organizing fundraising efforts for a follow-up mission in April 2027. That trip will focus on providing medical and dental services to the same region.
Source: KGTV
