KATHMANDU JULY 26
Donation of £5000 (NPR 765,000) was made by "The Health Exchange Nepal (UK)" to Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in memory of Late Rotarian Bibek Bahadur Pradhan.
On behalf of Health Exchange Nepal (UK), Engineer Sanjib Man Rajbhandari handed over a cheque of £5000 (NPR 7,65,000) to the executive director of the hospital Prof Dr Bishnu Dutta Paudel today .
To commemorate his devotion, a 'Patient Waiting Hall' is to be named after late Dr Bibek Pradhan at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital.
"We admire and appreciate his valuable contribution to the health sector," said the executive director of the hospital Prof Dr Paudel.
Rajbhandari said that "Health Exchange Nepal (UK) has provided financial and material support to most areas of Nepal and expressed his commitment to provide more support to Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital".
The Chief Administrative Officer at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital Rajaram Tajale said that 'under the coordination late Dr Bibek B Pradhan, Rotary Club of Mansfield UK and other social organisations, a Radiotherapy Cobalt Machine was gifted and put into operation in 1998".
He further said necessary equipment were provided to the hospitalat different times through Health Exchange Nepal (UK).
Dr Pradhan obtained specialist degree of MR- COG in 1969 from the UK after graduating from Calcutta. As the first Nepali male gynaecologist, he returned to Nepal to serve, but because of the conservative society of that time, he had to return to the UK. He worked as a GP in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, until his retirement in 1993. After retirement, he established a radiotherapy unit at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, Nepal with the help of Rotary International. He also initiated a successful cancer screening and care programme through a special project, which enabled many destitute patients in Nepal to receive free cancer treatment.
He has been a key player for raising and mobilising funds to start a new memorial building at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital. Dr Bibek, an active Rotarian, dedicated his retirement to improving cancer care in Nepal. He died on 28 April 2021 following prolonged illness. His friends and families raised £5000 (equivalent to NRS 765,000) in his memory through the charity 'Health Exchange Nepal (UK)' to support Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital. Dr Bibek has been a key player for mobilising various resources and starting advanced cancer treatment in the Hospital.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 27, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
