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KATHMANDU, June 14: The Government of India on Friday gifted 40 ambulances to various health institutions across Nepal as part of its ongoing support to strengthen the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
The vehicle handover ceremony was held simultaneously at four locations: the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, the Consulate General of India in Birgunj, and the Pension Paying Offices in Pokhara and Dharan. A total of 40 ambulances were distributed to institutions in 33 districts, covering all seven provinces of Nepal.
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Of the 40 vehicles, 22 ambulances were handed over at a formal ceremony in Kathmandu. Seven ambulances were provided in Birgunj, another seven in Pokhara, and four in Dharan. The keys were handed over by Prasanna Shrivastava, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. The event was attended by mayors and chairpersons of municipalities and rural municipalities from Bagmati, Karnali, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim provinces, along with representatives of beneficiary organizations, political leaders and social workers.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Chief of Mission Shrivastava said that gifting ambulances has been a longstanding initiative under the Nepal-India Development Partnership aimed at supporting Nepal’s health sector. He emphasised that this initiative reflects the robust, deepening, and diversifying development partnership between India and Nepal, which has evolved over the past seven decades.
Beneficiaries at the ceremony expressed their gratitude to the Government of India for its continued support in various developmental sectors. They said the new ambulances would significantly improve access to healthcare in remote and underserved areas. Similar sentiments were echoed by beneficiaries at events held in Birgunj, Pokhara, and Dharan.
The Indian government has been giving ambulances to Nepal since 1994, prioritising support for the country’s health sector. Including the latest consignment, India has gifted a total of 1,049 ambulances to Nepal over the past three decades. Additionally, India has provided 300 school buses to Nepali educational institutions. In 2022, it handed over 200 vehicles to Nepal’s law enforcement agencies and the Election Commission for election-related logistics. Most recently, in May 2025, 15 electric vehicles were gifted to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the inaugural ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad.’
