Bhaktapur, January 29

Human Organ Transplant Centre, Bhaktapur, has been formally renamed Shahid Dharma Bhakta National Transplant Centre today.

On January 1, the Cabinet meeting had decided to rename Bhaktapur Hospital after martyr Dharma Bhakta Mathema, who sacrificed his life fighting against the Rana oligarchy.

Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, director of the hospital said the hospital has been named after  the martyr to honour his sacrifice.

There are two other hospitals and a stadium named after three martyrs who laid down their lives fighting against despotic Rana rule .

He said, “Within five years of the hospital’s establishment, people have been getting paired kidney exchange and kidney and liver transplant services. The hospital is also preparing to provide heart transplant services. Till now, this centre has transplanted 392 kidneys.” He added that the hospital lacked enough space to handle the increasing number of patients.

Speaking at the programme, Minister for Health Deepak Bohara said the health ministry would take initiatives to provide land to the hospital as soon as possible. The minister said, “The organisation has been doing an exemplary job in the health sector and hence it’s our duty to help it in every possible way.”

Similarly, Mahesh Basnet, newly elected member of the Parliament from Bhaktapur said he would work to establish a health science academy at the hospital.