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India donates 20 Kidney Dialysis Machines to Nepal

With an aim to boost the medical facilities for the people of Nepal, India on 20th February 2023 gifted the first tranche of 20 Kidney Dialysis Machines (KDMs) to its fellow Himalayan state.

Ambassador of India to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, handed over the batch of KDMs to Padam Giri, Minister for Health and Population. These 20 KDMs are the first of the 200 such machines, including all the related medical equipment, that are being gifted by India to Nepal. The remaining consignment will be delivered soon.

In his remarks to the media, ​Ambassador Srivastava noted the long-standing development cooperation between India and Nepal, especially in the health sector, adding that the gifting of these machines reflected the continued support of India as Nepal augments its health infrastructure.

​Nepal’s Health Minister Giri thanked the Government of India for its continued developmental support in the Health sector, including for the Kidney Dialysis Machines, for boosting the medical facilities for the people of Nepal.

India-Nepal Developmental Ties for Robust Healthcare

Last week when Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra met his Nepalese counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal, the leaders had agreed to further deepen the economic and developmental ties between both nations.

Cooperation in the Health sector is unfolding as a significant aspect of the India-Nepal development partnership. Some of the major health facilities constructed under the Indian Government’s grant assistance include Nepal Bharat Maitri Emergency & Trauma Centre at Kathmandu, B.P Koirala Institute of Health Science in Dharan and OPD complex for Bir Hospital in Kathmandu. Apart from this, around 50 health-related High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) have been undertaken in various districts of Nepal.

Moreover, India is also providing post-Earthquake Reconstruction grant assistance of USD 50 million for the construction of 132 health posts in various earthquake-affected districts of Nepal.

During the pandemic, apart from providing vaccines under a bilateral grant (over 2 million doses) and through COVAX, India supported Nepal in enhancing the physical capacity of health institutions and supplied medical equipment like ICU beds and medical Oxygen plants, essential medicines, RT-PCR test kits PPE, Ventilators etc. Infact, the government of India also provides Ambulances every year to various health institutions of Nepal wherein till date about 940 ambulances have been distributed covering almost all districts of Nepal.

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging & multi-sectoral cooperation that transcends political, social, cultural, religious and economic engagements. The gifting of these KDMs is a marker of India’s continued support to bolster the development of Nepal’s healthcare infrastructure.

 

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