Handover of vehicles

Two additional vehicles sponsored by Nepalhilfe Beilngries have been roaming the roads of Nepal for some weeks, a Tata Sumo ambulance and a Mahindra Scorpio. What began with the symbolic handover of a cheque in April of this year has become reality five months on. The ambulance will be operating in Sindhupalchok District, 80 kms north of Kathmandu, and be based in the county town of Chautara. Nepalhilfe Beilngries contributed 15,000 euros toward the purchase of the vehicle, with the municipality and the county covering the rest. The Indian-made ambulance is equipped with air-conditioning and oxygen provision for patients. It will serve about 12,000 people in the surrounding area.

Of course, the ambulance is not up to European standards, as anyone can tell from just a glance inside. However, the alternative would be hour-long walks or even patients being physically carried to their destination. Compared to this, the new vehicle is a quantum leap. It will be operated by the municipalities themselves, which have set aside a budget fo incidental expenses relating to the car.

For Sunil Shrestha and Shyam Pandit, the other car, the new Mahindra Scorpio, is just as much of a quantum leap. From now on, NH Beilngries’ employees will no longer need to cover ever-increasing distances on their scooters using overcrowded buses, unreliable drivers or creaking rentals. Having waited for 27 years for a ride of their own, „a dream came true“, as Sunil Shrestha wrote.

In Germany,  a lot of thinking went into the financing of the vehicles and two years went by as all alternatives aspects were considered. Guests from Germany having made their own unpleasant experiences, it became clear something needed to be done. The new car will seat nine occupants and cost about 40,000 euros, a substantial portion of which goes to the Nepalese government as taxes. This was why it was so important to consider all available alternatives for financing and operating the vehicle. In the end, it was decided to purchase it outright.

The car’s 120-hp diesel engine will now make it easier to serve remote locations in Terai or in the different districts to the west and east of Kathmandu.