Thinking of a trip to Nepal? Then it may be useful for you to read up on the medical facilities available in Nepal.
Medical facilities in Nepal are generally fairly poor and certainly not in line with the medical facilities which are typically available in the West.
For this reason therefore, it is strongly advised that you visit your own medical practitioner prior to travelling to Nepal and that you take advantage of any recommended inoculations and vaccinations. Due to the limited medical facilities in Nepal, you should also take good heed of any health and hygiene precautions during your trip.
Nepal has a population of over 28,000,000 and yet it is estimated that there are only in the region of 6,000 hospital beds. The medical facilities therefore, are extremely stretched.
Typically visitors to Nepal, who are seriously ill, are flown to the nearest medical facilities in either Bangkok, New Delhi or Singapore. It should be noted however, that travellers who become ill in remote areas in Nepal may face problems being evacuated due to the attacks by Maoist insurgents on helicopters and also telephone services. It is strongly suggested that you take out medical evacuation insurance if you are travelling to Nepal. This should provide further assistance should the need arise for you to be evacuated to more suitable medical facilities – please speak to the insurance provider regarding the issues of remote evacuations and how this is managed.
If it becomes necessary for you to use the medical facilities in Nepal, then the Patan hospital is located in the Lagankhel district of Patan. The medical facilities in this particular hospital are also staffed by western missionaries.
Many of the expatriates in Nepal visit the CIWEC clinic in Baluwatar. The medical facilities in this clinic have a particular focus on travellers’ conditions and is staffed almost totally by western medics.
You should note that the majority of medical facilities in Nepal will expect payment for their services – this is regardless of whether or not you have medical insurance. You should ensure therefore that if you are travelling to any medical facility in Nepal that you take cash with you. As an example of costs, the CIWEC clinic in Baluwatar charges approximately $35 per visit.
