Physiotherapy elective placements in Nepal, South Asia

In Nepal the nature of the healthcare staff is a lot more reserved and you will need to be proactive to build relationships with your supervisors and overcome language barriers in order to make treatments more effective.

Government hospital - Our placements are based in the largest Government subsidised institution in the area, which has a good-sized physiotherapy department, focussed mainly on outpatients with some occasional work on the wards. Conditions are related to orthopaedics, musculoskeletal and there are virtually no respiratory, paediatric or neurosurgical cases.

Private hospitals - We work with a number of medium to large private hospitals that provide increased patient care and treatment for those Nepalese that can afford to pay the sometimes minimal cost. Private hospitals are still under resourced, so you can still enjoy the cultural challenges whilst focussing on certain specialities not readily available in the public sector. The level of English is much higher than in the public hospital and as many function as teaching centres they make great learning environments, particularly for those interested in working with disabilities.

Church funded hospital - We have a good relationship with a church funded project that provides rehabilitation to sufferers of leprosy and permanently disabled accident patients. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to work with a disease that is not prevalent in western hospitals. It is incredibly popular and can only take one or two students.

Don't forget - if your preferred speciality is not listed, give us a call as we can usually accommodate most requests. You could also think about other opportunities to make more of your elective:

Split placements - If you have four weeks or more it is definitely worthwhile thinking about splitting an elective in Nepal. The social system really does affect the level of care patients can receive and spending time in both Government and private hospitals will give you a better understanding of Nepalese healthcare as a whole.

Village healthcare experience - To compliment your city placement, we offer a fantastic opportunity to travel to a rural village in the mountains where you will spend a week working at a local health post helping to deliver primary healthcare to the community. You will learn about village life, living with a family and spending afternoons with your guide getting involved in traditional ways of life. Read more on our Nepal Village Healthcare Experience page.