Kathmandu: Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal’s Kavrepalanchowk has unveiled a new ward building, thanks to funding from the Government of India. The opening ceremony took place on Wednesday and was led by Avinash Kumar Singh, First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
In an X post, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said, “India-Nepal partners in Development, Ward Building of Dhulikhel Hospital at Dhulikhel Municipality, Kavrepalanchowk was inaugurated today by Shri Avinash Kumar Singh, First Secretary.”
The post also stated, “This High Impact Community Development Project #HICDP is built with Government of India’s financial assistance under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’.”
According to the Indian Embassy, the project cost NPR 42.60 million and is part of the ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’ initiative. “The Government of India grant under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’ was utilized for the construction of ward building with other facilities for this hospital. The project was taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) under an Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal. This project was implemented through Dhulikhel Municipality, Kavrepalanchowk. The project is an important example of the robust development partnership between India and Nepal,” the release stated.
Local officials, including the mayor of Dhulikhel Municipality, praised the Indian government for its ongoing support in improving Nepal’s essential services.
The new ward building aims to enhance healthcare services by providing better infrastructure and a more comfortable environment for patients. Since 2003, India has funded over 551 Health and Infrastructure Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal, completing 490 of them. In Bagmati Province alone, there have been 106 such projects, with 7 in Kavrepalanchowk.
India has also donated 1,009 ambulances and 300 school buses to Nepalese institutions. In Bagmati Province, this includes 236 ambulances and 98 school buses, with 8 school buses and 16 ambulances specifically for Kavrepalanchowk District.
In January 2021, Dhulikhel Hospital also received an Advanced Life Support ambulance from India, which plays a crucial role in emergency care.
“As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in upliftment of its people, augmenting infrastructure in the field of priority sectors,” the release from the embassy stated.
The inauguration was attended by the mayor, municipal officials, political leaders, government representatives, hospital staff, and community members.
