India to set up $15 mln trauma centre in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Oct 27 (Reuters) India plans to set up a 15 million dollar emergency and trauma centre in impoverished neighbour Nepal, the first such facility in South Asia outside India, the Indian embassy said today.

The 200-bed unit will be part of the Bir Hospital, Nepal's oldest medical institution based in the capital, Kathmandu, said an embassy statement.

''The commitment is a part of Bir Hospital's master plan for (its) out patient department and related services, so that it could meet the medical and healthcare needs of people of Nepal in general and Kathmandu valley in particular,'' it said.

Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, India's ambassador to Nepal, laid the foundation stone for the centre, which is expected to be completed in 18 months.

There are almost 7,000 beds and around 1,300 doctors working across 87 hospitals in Nepal, catering for the health needs of around 26 million people in the poor Himalayan nation, which has been wracked by civil strife and a Maoist insurgency.

India is a key donor to Nepal and is spending 275 million dollar in 158 education, health and infrastructure projects. More than 60 per cent of Nepal's annual economic development costs are funded by foreign aid.

REUTERS PDM RN1658