Immediate Treatment and Prevention of Burns
The 1481st Regular Meeting (14th of RY 2025/26) of the Rotary Club of Yala was held on 10th October 2025 at Hotel Goodwill, Lalitpur. The main agenda of the meeting was a talk program on “Immediate Treatment and Prevention of Burns”, delivered by Dr. Kiran Kishor Nakarmi, a Burns, Plastic, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgeon, and Director of Kirtipur Burn Hospital.
Dr. Nakarmi gave an in-depth presentation on burn prevention and first aid. Most people neglect even simple measures to prevent burns and are unaware of the immediate treatment needed. Having basic knowledge in this area can help save the lives of burn victims.
He presented several figures to describe the alarming global situation of burn injuries. Every year around 1,10,00,000 people worldwide suffer burns, with one person getting burned every 3 seconds. Of these incidents, 5% occur in high income countries while 95% take place in developing countries. Among all burn victims, 350,000 people lose their lives. Fifty percent of these deaths occur in South-East Asian countries. So, the WHO has declared South-East Asia as the epicenter of burn injuries.
Most burn accidents are caused by flame burns (60%), followed by scalding (23%) and electric burns (15%). One third of all incidents happen to children.
In Nepal, around 56,000 people suffer burns each year, with approximately 2,200 losing their lives and 2,000 requiring hospitalizations.
He outlined the major causes of burns, such as wildfires and house fires, scalding, electrical burns, and chemical burns, and also highlighted key preventive measures.
According to the WHO, 80% of burn incidents are preventable.
Past President Rtn Surendra Govinda Joshi generously donated Rs 1,00,000 to the Nepal Burn Foundation for its endowment fund.
The President Om Shanker Shrestha expressed gratitude to Dr. Kiran Kishor Nakarmi for his insightful and impactful presentation on burns.
