Surgery for Children with Disabilities in Nepal

If you or a loved one has ever undergone surgery, you know that it can be stressful and scary.  Even under the best circumstances, it can be hard to keep your mind from wandering to the “what ifs”.  Dr. Ashok Banskota and his team opened the doors to the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) 19 years ago, and they have been providing life-changing operations and peace of mind to patients and parents since. 

From humble beginnings in a makeshift clinic near the edge of Kathmandu, today HRDC is a state of the art hospital with 67 doctors that have reached over 66,000 young patients with medical and rehabilitation care. Over the last 19 years, HRDC has gained worldwide renown, particularly for their treatment of a common condition in Nepal known as clubfoot, in which babies are born with tendons that are too short, causing the feet or legs to twist in, and making it difficult or impossible to walk later in life.

Nepal, known for its beautiful mountain ranges and pristine vistas, is also home to inadequate and at times, simply absent medical care facilities. Club foot, like most conditions seen at HRDC, is easiest to treat as early as possible with non-surgical procedures and physical therapy. But due to poverty and little access to healthcare mean this isn’t the case.  According to Dr. Banskota, “almost 50 percent of the cases we [HRDC] deal with are preventable.  Late report has been the major challenge. With early identification and a certain level of awareness, many children can be prevented from suffering and disabilities.” He goes on that, “Seeing children suffer is completely another level of pain and I knew I had to do something about it.”  Dr. Banskota and HRDC are making it possible for any child, regardless of their ability to pay, access to the care they need; and they do it with the utmost skill and compassion.

19 years of success can be measured in the growth and quality of services provided at HRDC, and it can also be seen in the faces of the children, their smiles and laugher, knowing the freedom of movement is just around the corner.