India Funds Emergency Block Construction at Nepal's Ilam Hospital

Gitanjali Brandon, counsellor at the Indian Embassy in Nepal and Kedar Thapa, Mayor of the municipality, jointly laid the foundation stone for the construction of the emergency block at the hospital on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy.

The emergency block is being built with the financial assistance of approximately NPR 94 million from the government of India, the Embassy said.

On the occasion, Mayor Thapa and other local stakeholders expressed appreciation for the continued developmental support extended by India. They highlighted that the new emergency facility is expected to significantly improve access to quality healthcare services for residents of Ilam Municipality and surrounding areas.

The project falls under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) framework, and the municipality will be responsible for its implementation, according to the Indian Embassy.

"As close neighbours, Nepal and India maintain wide-ranging cooperation across multiple sectors," the Embassy stated. "The implementation of HICDPs underscores India's ongoing support to Nepal's development efforts, particularly in strengthening infrastructure in priority sectors such as health, education, and community services."

Since the formation of the new government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah on March 27, foundation stones have been laid for two health infrastructure projects, one school building, and one waste management centre to be constructed with the Indian government's assistance. Likewise, Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have been signed to implement seven different local infrastructure projects under the HICDP framework.

The HICDP programme has emerged as a key pillar of the India-Nepal development partnership, supporting grassroots development initiatives in Nepal.

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

In a significant boost to the initiative, a new agreement reached in January 2024 increased the ceiling of Indian financial assistance to NPR 20 million per project, up from NPR 5 million.

- IANS