ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the socio-demographic characteristics, assess the utilization of HIV testing and counselling services, and to explore the reasons for the non-utilization of HIV testing and counselling services among the key populations at the Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern Nepal.ResultsThe HIV testing and counselling services are utilized by less than a third (29%) of the key population among the Bhutanese Refugees. The prime source of information about the HIV testing and counselling sites has been health workers followed by peer/outreach educators and neighbors. Common self-reported barriers for utilization of HIV testing and counselling services by the Bhutanese refugees were self-perceived stigma about HIV, the fear of being discriminated and the lack of knowledge about HIV testing and counselling services. There is a need to analyze the gap between availability and utilization through more qualitative approaches in order to identify interventions to increase the uptake of the HIV testing and counselling services.

While working with UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) in Nepal, I faced the challenge of managing Bhutanese refugee health care programme with limited resources. Since 1993, UNHCR was providing health services to Bhutanese refugees living in seven camps. UNHCR Nepal had received limited budget due to emerging refugee crisis in other parts of the world in 2016. As a health focal person, I was assigned to look for new approaches to provide health services to refugees. After exploring several possibilities, telemedicine project was introduced in the camp in 2016 with the collaboration of tertiary hospital, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. The main objective of the project was to reduce medical referral, which consumed most of the resources. From testing and prototyping, videoconference was considered as the most appropriate method to perform telemedicine in the camp. Telemedicine helped camp clinical staff to directly communicate with consultants in the tertiary hospital at distant and address the refugee health issue at camp level. After implementation of telemedicine, medical referral from camp clinic to hospitals in 2016 was reduced by 54.8 % in comparison to previous year 2015. Telemedicine project also enhanced the coordination and linkage of refugee and UNHCR with tertiary referral hospital. Regular monitoring visit from the expert helped to improve the telemedicine project significantly. The most important lesson learnt was that beneficiaries and camp health staff should be involved from beginning. Camp health workers must be trained on using telecommunications equipment. Telemedicine is cost-effective in refugee setting where internet access is strong. Regular monitoring and technical support from the expert, learning attitude of camp health workers and acceptance from refugee are vital for the success of the project. Telemedicine increased access of essential healthcare to the most disadvantaged communities and ultimately facilitated universal health coverage. Key messages Telemedicine is cost-effective way of providing health services to refugee at remote area where access to hospitals is challenging due to certain limitation such as distance, budget, transportation. Telemedicine not only save the cost of medical referral but also save opportunity cost, time and energy of refugees, which are invested while visiting hospital.

Background: Telemedicine, a part of Medical Informatics used to consult patients from remote places either via videoconferencing or transferring data and resources via the Store and Forward method, makes the quality of healthcare in low-and middle-income countries more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible. The objectives of this study were to determine its effects on the health of refugees and its efficacy in terms of referrals and cost reduction for healthcare service providers among Bhutanese refugees in eastern Nepal. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done retrospectively from the records of patient data of Bhutanese refugees from AMDA, Damak, and prospectively by asking the questionnaire to the healthcare providers of Beldangi PHC of AMDA, Damak. Results: The total percentage of patients that were seen via teleconsultation in the primary center was 58% male and 42% females, whereas from the secondary center, males were 43% and females constituted 57%. The referral rate from those primary centers and secondary centers were decreased to 31% and 39%, respectively, from 72% and 61% from previous records. The budget expenditure was also decreased to 13.65% from 29.41%. Conclusions: Telemedicine is beneficial in those types of refugee camps where there are chains of referring patients from primary health centers to tertiary care centers via secondary healthcare centers. As it not only decreased the referral rate but also save the budget expenditure, which are needed when referring those patients to other centers.