India Funds Nepal Health Post, Boosting Grassroots Healthcare Access

Gandaki Thapa Adhikari, Chairperson of Badigad Rural Municipality, and Ajay Kumar Singh, Second Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Bhimgithe Health Post in the area on Wednesday, the Indian Embassy said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the Embassy, approximately NPR 25 million will be spent on the construction of the health post. The project, categorised as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), will be implemented through Badigad Rural Municipality.

Local representatives and stakeholders expressed appreciation for India's continued developmental support, noting that the facility is expected to significantly improve access to healthcare services in the area.

India and Nepal, as close neighbours, continue to engage in wide-ranging cooperation across multiple sectors. "The implementation of such community-level projects reflects India's ongoing support to Nepal's development efforts, particularly in strengthening infrastructure in priority sectors," the Embassy said.

The HICDPs programme has emerged as a key pillar of the India-Nepal development partnership, with funding under this scheme being used for grassroots development in Nepal.

Launched in 2003, the HICDPs were previously known as Small Development Projects. The initiative supports small-scale infrastructure and community projects across Nepal through local authorities. The programme focuses on priority sectors identified by the Government of Nepal, including health, education, drinking water, sanitation and drainage, rural electrification, hydropower, and river training works.

A total of 573 projects have been undertaken across the country so far, with a cumulative investment of approximately NPR 13.59 billion under this scheme, according to information available on the embassy's website.

Of these, 294 projects fall under the education sector, including the construction of 217 school buildings, making education the largest beneficiary, according to the Embassy's website.

In a significant boost to the initiative, a new agreement reached in January 2024 paved the way for an increase in the ceiling of Indian financial assistance to NPR 20 million per project from NPR 5 million.

- IANS