Page 219 - Traditional Medicine Systems of BIMSTEC Member States – 2023 Report

Best Practice of

Nepal

Integrated Service Delivery Approach in Self-sustaining of Traditional
Medicine Public Hospital: Nepal’s Experience

Nepal has always been in the globe ever since world history came into calculation.
The small Himalayan country has its deep-rooted health interventions embedded in their

culture, tradition and way of life. The traditional medicinal system of Nepal has a long
history on itself. There are no families in this country who do not know at least 5-10

herbs and their usage in some health context. The centuries long healing tradition of
Nepal in the form of traditional healers finally got systematised around 107 years ago

with establishment of one bedded Ayurveda Hospital in 1916 A.D in Kathmandu.
The hospital is the third oldest hospital of Nepal. The hospital infrastructure,

human resources and service delivery was in need of massive upgrades. The hospital has
been continuously growing amidst the challenges of varying country’s health policy and

political instabilities. The hospital now runs 100 beds in addition to 18 Cabin and 25
HDU bed sanctioned. However, the number of designated staffs allocated by the

government remains the same. Recently, only 17 Ayurveda doctors, 17 nurses, 44
paramedics and 47 helpers are working in this hospital (from the government as well

as Hospital Development Committee).
Today the hospital gets cross referrals from major government and private hospitals

of Western medicine. The rehabilitative and palliative care with Panchakarma, Acupuncture
and Physiotherapy in combination has brought the best outcomes in neuromuscular

cases. The anorectal cases with recurrent Fistula-in Ano are best treated in this hospital
Nepal
with high flow of patients from all over the country. Huge number of patients visit the

internal medicine OPD for gastrointestinal, liver, non-communicable lifestyle related
diseases. 209

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