India sends medical aid worth $2 mn to Nepal for patients with thalassemia, sickle cell disease

"Reaffirming India's commitment to the Neighbourhood First Policy, India sends assistance consisting of medicines and vaccines for patients with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease worth $2 million, responding to a request from Nepal," Randhir Jaiswal, Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on X.

New Delhi: In pursuance of its commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Neighbourhood First Policy, India on Friday sent medical assistance worth $2 million to Nepal for patients suffering from thalassemia and sickle cell disease in the country.

“Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Neighbourhood First Policy, India sends assistance consisting of medicines and vaccines for patients with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease worth $2 million, responding to a request from Nepal,” Randhir Jaiswal, Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on X.

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“The 1st tranche of 17,030 vials of Vaccines for the Immunisation of patients with Thalassemia was handed over to Nepal,” he added.

As close neighbours, India and Nepal are engaged in wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation, including health. One major health project was the setting up of a 50-seat medical college and a 350-bed hospital at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan.

Other such projects include the setting up of the Nepal Bharat Maitri Emergency & Trauma Centre (completed in 2008) and the construction of a 5-storey OPD cum Ward Block with facilities to accommodate 2,500 patients at Bir Hospital, Kathmandu (completed in 1985).

The former is the first trauma centre with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) like specialised facilities in Kathmandu. The ongoing health sector cooperation also includes the supply of medical equipment.

India provided 200 Kidney Dialysis Machines and 50 Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems to the Government of Nepal in 2023. The Bhabhatron II Radiotherapy Machine and its associated simulator were also handed over to Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in 2024.

According to the MEA, Nepal was one of the first countries to receive the ‘Made in India COVID-19’ vaccine on 21 January 2021, paving the way for Nepal’s nationwide vaccination drive.

India had also supplied critical supplies of medicines (23 tonnes) at the early stage of the pandemic. Earlier this month, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli said that he had ‘extremely fruitful and positive’ discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.

“Had a productive meeting with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Bangkok. India attaches immense priority to relations with Nepal. We discussed different aspects of India-Nepal friendship, especially in sectors like energy, connectivity, culture, and digital technology. We also talked about some of the key positive outcomes from this year’s BIMSTEC Summit, especially in areas of disaster management and maritime transport,” PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.