The journey from Nepal to Germany is not a common one. It’s also not the kind of trip that makes headlines. No delegation, no ribbon-cutting, no press-conference. Just a nurse stepping off a long flight, carrying with her years of hands-on experience, a notebook filled with questions, and determination to bring change to her patients at home.
Sister Gayatri works at Scheer memorial Adventist Hospital in Banepa, Nepal – a modest institution with limited resources but an outsized mission: to raise the standard of care in a region where too many people still go without. This May, she arrived in Willich, Germany not as a visitor but as a collaborator. An experienced endoscopy nurse, she is taking part in a work-shadowing program, with a focus on knowledge transfer and training in endoscope reprocessing, damage prevention, and product use. Sister Gayatri is receiving a detailed introduction to our ELUXEO series, but just as importantly, she’s experiencing how teams work together, how systems are built, and how small improvements can lead to long-term impact.
She is here to observe. To learn. To ask why certain protocols exist, and how others could be adapted. In a workshop that repairs and reprocesses some of the most advanced endoscopic tools, she listens closely, takes notes, and asks questions that cut to the heart of daily practice. And the value of this exchange is mutual. Her perspective – shaped by years of practical improvisation in a resource-limited setting – brings invaluable insight to our processes.
In the language of healthcare, this kind of exchange is called ‘capacity building’. Alongside transferring technology or introducing new tools, this collaboration focuses on practical knowledge that helps hospitals build systems they can maintain and adapt to their realities. The most valuable lessons here are often the simplest: how to organize a workflow, or how to prevent damage to delicate instruments – the kind of experience-based learning that lays the groundwork for long-term progress.
‘It was a great experience to see the wide range of products Fujifilm has to offer. Endoscope reprocessing is a very important issue for us and has high priority. In Nepal, we are not yet able to meet the requirements as they currently exist in Germany, but we hope that other companies will eventually provide support in this area in the future to raise standards in our country,’ – Sister Gayatri.
Her visit is part of a broader collaboration focused on a simple but powerful mission: to share expertise to further improve the quality of medical care in places where resources are limited. As a total healthcare company, we are committed to address critical gaps in access to medical care for people across the globe, helping ensure that every patient, no matter where they are in the world, can be treated with the best care possible.
From small steps to major milestones
Our relationship with Scheer Memorial started quietly, in 2019, with a simple request – a replacement device. At that time, we sent it right away, also donating some devices that we knew were indispensable to provide a service to the local community.
A lot has happened since then. Thanks to Fujifilm’s support, the hospital now has two fully equipped endoscopy rooms – an extraordinary advance in a region where the population often has limited access to medical care. An impressive success is a colon cancer screening program now starting in the district of Ramechhap – one of the few in Nepal. It’s an ambitious step for a rural hospital, but also a hopeful one. This shows how technology and commitment can work together to improve the quality of life of an entire region.
Shared values, big impact
Our partnership with Scheer Memorial is not unique in mission, but it is personal in practice. It represents work that often happens behind the scenes, away from the spotlight: small, steady efforts that build over time.
‘Your support enables us to provide services in line with international standards and brings us closer to our goal of becoming a leading healthcare facility,’ – Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital.
There is still a long way to go. But with visits like Sister Gayatri’s, and ongoing collaboration between our teams, we’re reminded that global health progress doesn’t always come in breakthroughs. Sometimes, it arrives in a suitcase. In a quiet question. And in a firm belief that the best change maker is knowledge – passed from one hand to another.
We look forward to further strengthening this partnership, making a long-term difference, and putting more smiles on faces around the world!