KATHMANDU, July 22: Nepal has repeatedly pledged to build an international-standard burn hospital after every major burn tragedy. Yet years later, those promises remain largely unfulfilled, leaving patients with limited treatment options and forcing many families to bear the high cost of care or seek treatment abroad.
The issue has resurfaced following a string of self-immolation incidents over the past month. Ganesh Nepali of Mugu died after sustaining severe burns during a self-immolation attempt in Kathmandu. Since then, at least five more people have attempted self-immolation, with two others later dying from burn injuries.
The government's latest commitment mirrors an earlier promise made after several high-profile incidents. In 2022, Prem Raj Acharya died after setting himself on fire in New Baneshwor, prompting authorities to announce plans for a world-class burn hospital. A year earlier, Nepali Congress leader Chandra Bhandari suffered severe burns in a gas explosion at his home, while his mother died in the incident. Bhandari had to be flown to India because Nepal lacked the facilities needed for advanced treatment.
Another pledge followed after former Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel sustained burn injuries when balloons exploded during an event in Pokhara.
The ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party also promised to establish burn hospitals in all seven provinces in its election manifesto. After forming the government, it included burn hospital construction in its 100-point governance reform agenda. The budget for the current fiscal year also promises to expand the capacity of Kirtipur Burn Hospital and the burn unit at Bir Hospital.
Make burn care treatment available in Nepal
Prime Minister Balen Shah recently directed authorities to strengthen burn treatment services in all seven provinces to ensure timely care for patients. Despite repeated commitments, little progress has been made toward building a dedicated national burn hospital.
According to the Ministry of Health and Food Safety, burn treatment units currently operate in 14 hospitals across the country. These include Kirtipur Burn Hospital, Bir Hospital, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Koshi Provincial Hospital, Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, Dadeldhura Provincial Hospital, Narayani Hospital, Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital, Rapti Academy of Health Sciences and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. The government also provides up to Rs 100,000 in financial assistance for burn treatment.
Doctors say these services remain far from adequate.
Dr. Piyush Dahal, a burn and plastic surgeon at Bir Hospital, said many of the provincial burn units lack trained specialists, equipment and infrastructure. While they can provide basic care, they are not equipped to handle serious burn injuries.
Dr. Shankarman Rai, a burn and plastic surgeon at Kirtipur Burn Hospital, said expanding hospital buildings alone is not enough.
"A modern burn hospital requires specialized equipment, trained professionals and advanced services. Those are still lacking," he said.
He noted that survival rates have improved compared to the past and hospitals are now treating patients with burns covering more than 40 percent of their bodies. However, Nepal still lacks the capacity to manage the most critical cases, especially patients with burns covering more than half of their bodies.
Burn treatment is among the most expensive forms of medical care. Dr. Rai said a dialysis machine often required for critically burned patients costs around Rs 80,000 per day to operate. Such costs are difficult for both hospitals and patients to bear.
Nepal also faces a severe shortage of burn plastic surgeons. Dr. Rai said these specialists receive extensive training in wound management, skin grafting and post-burn care, skills that general surgeons cannot fully replace.
Dr. Dahal said even Bir Hospital, the country's largest public hospital, lacks enough burn surgeons, nurses, medicines and equipment despite government claims of expanded services. Families are often forced to purchase medicines themselves because hospitals cannot supply everything required.
According to him, Nepal has only about 40 burn plastic surgeons, far too few for the country's needs, and most provincial burn units do not have a specialist on staff.
To bridge the gap, Kirtipur Burn Hospital has begun training general surgeons and nurses in basic burn care while seeking government support to expand the program.
According to the World Health Organization, around 80,000 people suffer burn injuries in Nepal every year, and about 2,100 die from them. Despite repeated political commitments, specialists say Nepal's burn care system still falls well short of meeting that burden.
