KATHMANDU, Jan 8: The master plan to develop Kanti Children’s Hospital into a 1,000-bed specialized national referral hospital has remained limited to the Detailed Project Report (DPR), with construction yet to move forward despite prior approvals.
Speaking at the hospital’s 64th anniversary program on Tuesday, Hospital Director Dr Pankaj Rai said the DPR had already been approved by the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, but subsequent processes have not progressed.
The hospital’s building construction and expansion master plan was approved in 2022 and has also been incorporated into the 16th Five-Year Plan. The project aims to expand Nepal’s only central children’s hospital into a 1,000-bed facility, enhance service quality, develop it as a pediatric research center, and produce skilled specialists for advanced child healthcare services.
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However, Dr Rai said that although the DPR is ready, construction work has not begun. “The hospital should have entered the tender process for construction in the previous fiscal year, but the work has yet to move forward,” he said.
Urging the Ministry of Health and Population to expedite the stalled procedures, Dr Rai expressed hope that the foundation stone would be laid within the current fiscal year.
Health and Population Minister Dr Sudha Gautam Sharma, the chief guest at the event, said the ministry would extend maximum support for the hospital’s development, stressing that Kanti Children’s Hospital is directly linked to the future of children. She also directed the hospital to proceed with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in line with the expansion plan.
Health Ministry Secretary Dr Bikash Devkota said a clear framework and detailed proposal would be required to move ahead with the construction. He added that further processes could be initiated in the next fiscal year if proposals are submitted after consultations with department heads.
Established in 1960 after separating from Bir Hospital, Kanti Children’s Hospital currently operates with 372 beds. In fiscal year 2024/25, the hospital provided services to 225,000 patients, with a bed occupancy rate of 69.7 percent. During the same period, 10,565 patients were admitted and 3,130 surgeries were performed.
The hospital said it provided treatment subsidies to 5,599 underprivileged patients last fiscal year, amounting to Rs 38.47 million. At present, the hospital employs 798 staff members under various employment categories.
Of the 97 ropanis of land used by the hospital, ownership certificates have been obtained for 70 percent, while the process for the remaining land is ongoing. Recent service expansions include pediatric mental health services, hemodialysis facilities, and an expanded observation ward.
