A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed on April 27, 2007 by the Ambassador of India with Finance secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal and Chairman, Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh for the establishment of a 100 bed Nepal Bharat Maitri Bakhtawari Hari Eye Hospital at Krishna Nagar in Kapilvastu district.
Under the MOU, Government of India will provide grant assistance of over NRs.150 million for setting up of the eye hospital with a capacity of 100 indoor patients. Government of India will also appoint consultant and executing agency for execution of the project. Government of Nepal will appoint a Project Facilitation Officer for necessary liaison between consultant, executing agency and concerned authorities on the Nepalese side for smooth implementation of the project. Bhaktawari Devi Goel Welfare Trust will provide, free of cost, four bighas of land earmarked for the project.
According to Nepal’s National Epidemiological Survey, 16% of the Nepalese population has one or more ocular disorders and 2.5% population is blind in one or both eyes. Of these, 80% of the blindness is avoidable. Presently there is only one hospital at Taulihawa, which provides eye care along with other primary health care to the people of Kapilvastu district. There is no full-fledged eye hospital in the district. The hospital to be constructed with the assistance of the Government of India under the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme will be run by Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh, which is Nepal’s apex non-profit social organisation recognised by GON in the area of eye care, and will provide complete eye care services to the people of all 78 VDCs of Kapilvastu as well those of adjoining districts.
In the health sector, India-Nepal cooperation is witnessing implementation/consideration of 13 small development projects in different districts of Nepal and three large projects including establishment of a 200 bed Emergency & Trauma Centre at Bir Hospital, construction/expansion work in case of Paropkar Hospital at Kathmandu. Over last 24 years, India has also been assisting Nepal in controlling Goitre and other iodine deficiency disorders through the supply and transportation of iodised salt nationwide, including the remote districts. Since 1994, Government of India has presented a total of 122 ambulances to various organizations across 54 districts in Nepal. As of today, 40 Indian doctors from various prestigious medical institutions of India are on deputation to B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan imparting medical education to the MBBS students. BPKIHS itself was established with Indian assistance worth over Indian Rupee 100 crore in 1999. Government of India has also been providing assistance in cataract and trachoma treatment in Nepal that cures 12,000 patients every year.
India recognizes the importance of accelerating economic rehabilitation and development in Nepal and remains committed to render all possible assistance in that direction. More than 190 large and small development projects with an outlay of over NRs.2000 crores currently being undertaken in all parts of Nepal in the sectors of education, health, community development and infrastructure with the assistance of Government of India truly manifest this commitment. At the same time, India remains willing to respond with a sense of urgency to the needs of the people and Government of Nepal in ensuring the success of the peace process and lasting political and economic stability of the country.
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