HELPING HAND: Mr Dunstan visited to present the money raised, and see the site of a new school

 

A FORMER East Grinstead GP has been helping in Nepal, following last year’s deadly earthquake.

Dr Richard Dunstan, of Shalebrook Lane, returned this week from a visit to the Sindhupalchowk District, which was one of the most affected areas following the earthquakes that hit Nepal last year.

The 70-year-old visited with wife Tessa to see where the Bhumisthan Lower Secondary School is going to be rebuilt, as it was completely destroyed by the natural disaster.

The rebuilding is being funded by a £76,650 donation from the Masonic Charitable Foundation, of which the grandfather-of-11 is a trustee.

The money was raised from Freemason groups across the country following a £50,000 donation when the disaster first happened.

Dr Dunstan, who worked at Judges Close Surgery until his retirement in 2011, said: “It was a bum numbing trip in a four-by-four to get to the village.

“It was tragic really. People are still living in tents and the school is currently a tin shack.

NEW BUILDING NEEDED: Currently students are using a makeshift building

“I saw where the new school will be built. Luckily last year’s earthquake was on a Saturday so the children were not at school, which could have been devastating. The enthusiasm of teachers, parents and children was touching.”

The visit coincided with the anniversary of the earthquake on April 25, 2015 which killed over 8,000 people.

Children were among those worst affected, as the devastation left over one million without access to school.

Dr Dunstan, who visited the country for six days as part of a longer trip to India, said the Bhumisthan school is being built to withstand further disasters and when finished will be able to take on 320 students.

Organised by Global children’s charity Plan UK it will take three months to build once planning permission has been granted for the works.

Dr Dunstan said he saw hundreds of years of history destroyed.

He also saw many differences since his last visit which was more than 40 years ago.

He said: “It is not quite the Shangri-La it used to be – there is definitely a lot more traffic.