"No child of this country shall die of heart disease because of poverty"
Dr. Koirala has led over twelve thousand heart surgeries to date and is widely admired for his philanthropic work in the area of childrens’ heart diseases.
Bhagawan Koirala, MD, FACC (July 24, 1960) is a cardiothoracic surgeon, professor and philanthropist. He is best known for pioneering Open-heart surgery in Nepal, and for starting an operational cardiac care for the public. He started a "Poor Patients Relief" program in 2003, with the support of the Government of Nepal, which focuses on providing free Cardiac care for children, elderly and needy.
He is also widely appreciated for his miraculous effort in turning a state-owned wrecked and abandoned shoe warehouse into a cardiac hospital facility that currently serves over three hundred thousand patients and carries out over 1500 heart surgery annually. It is Shahid Gangalal National Health Center, a pioneering Heart hospital which offers comprehensive heart treatment. Such a facility in Nepal was beyond the reach of general public and heart treatment in particular heart surgery was almost unimaginable for poor and middle class Nepalese in Nepal.
Dr. Koirala has played a key role in bringing the Heart Center to its present enviable position. He has been felicitated and recognized by various institutions over the years.
Presently serving as the Chairperson of the Medical Council and Head of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at the Tribhuban University, Dr. Koirala is committed to establishing a hospital, The Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH) in Nepal with satellite centers across nation. KIOCH is the only hospital outside Kathmandu dedicated to children in Nepal hence it is an instrumental facility with paramount significance for Nepalese children.
With his involvement in 300 to 400 child heart surgeries out of over 600 annually Dr. Koirala finds joy and satisfaction seeing his child patients growing up into a healthy individual. His passion for child heart care has turned Dr Koirala into an idol of young generation of Nepal and has inspired him to do more in his field.
The government of Nepal has also demonstrated appropriate ownership by supporting Dr Koirala led current and past institutes to provide free cardiac care to poor children below 15 years of age and to senior citizens over 75 years of age. The government of Nepal has also offered 42 ropanis of land in lease in the heart of Kathmandu to set up a multi specialty children’s hospital in Kathamndu.
He has committed all his talent, passion as well as compassion and is firmly determined to establish Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH) in Nepal with One hospital in Kathmandu and satellite centers across the provinces.