Binaytara Foundation (BTF)
The Binaytara Foundation (BTF) was established in 2007 by Dr. Binay Shah and his wife Tara Shah with the goal of promoting health and education in underprivileged societies. The BTF is an Illinois non-profit organization exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. At 37th plenary meeting on 18th July 2013, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) decided to grant the special consultative status to the BTF. The ECOSOC grants the special consultative status to NGOs which are concerned specifically with only a few of the fields of activity covered in ECOSOC and bears special competence in that field.
Past projects
1. BTF Telemedicine Project – Using wireless video consultation, experts from USA volunteered in weekly telemedicine session with physicians in Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal starting from March 2010 to March 2012.
2. BTF Scholarship - The first project was launched in 2007. On March 31st 2007, BTF distributed uniforms and stationeries to 33 underprivileged students of Yog Kumar Secondary School, Blaba- Sarpallo, Mahottari, Nepal. BTF scholarship was provided to 44 schoolchildren in 2008 targeting the most vulnerable group of students who are likely to drop out early in their school years or those who otherwise would never attend school in an effort to help students successfully complete their high-school education and prepare them for college degree.
3. BTF-UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) telelecture series – UIC and BTF conducted telemedicine specialty review course in hematological malignancies to provide physicians from developing countries in recent advances in management.
Current projects
1. Medical research grant – With the overview of exploring the medical sciences and evidence based practice, where financial barrier restrict them, BTF started giving grants for medical research in underdeveloped and developing nations including Nepal and India. This program started in 2008 and is awarded every year.
2. Cervical cancer screening – BTF has partnered with the Cancer Care Nepal to develop a screening program for low and middle income women between the ages of 30-60 who live in the rural and suburban areas of Kathmandu and Lalitpur Districts, Nepal. The Cervical cancer screening program will be conducted over a six month period starting from May 2014.
3. Bone marrow transplant center – The bone marrow transplant(BMT) program is a joint venture between the Binaytara Foundation, UIC Center for Global Health, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, and the Civil Service Hospital.They have partnered in a project to develop the first Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant (BMT) Center in Nepal. BTF provided financial support for the training of two physicians and a nurse from Nepal at the UIC Medical Center Chicago for this project.
4. Medical Conferences – As part of expanding the horizon in hematology and Medical oncology, BTF has been organizing different medical conference in different country including USA and Nepal. BTF organized two hematology conferences in the fall of 2013. The Updates in Hematologic Malignancies was a multidisciplinary conference held in Lewiston, Idaho targeting the needs of the healthcare providers involved in the care of cancer patients. The International Conference on Advances in Hematologic Malignancies was the first hematology conference organized in Nepal. Famous Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala was the chief guest at the conference in Nepal.
Funding
This organization runs from the membership fee and donations.