Hospital in Nepal heals flood injured with a helping hand — from Express readers

Hospital in Nepal heals flood injured with a helping hand – from Express readers This neighbourhood primary medical centre generally acts as the first pitstop for nearby residents with everyday ailments, vaccinations, routine checkups and minor injuries.

Key points

• While just 80-100 individuals employed to visit the hospital daily before the floods struck, it now receives 100-130 patients every day.
• 4 min read Rasuwa (nepal) Sep 7, 2026 05: 20 AM IST.
• Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau.
• (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) Dr Bhatta notes most of the incoming residents now need psychosocial treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
• The Jibjibe Rural Hospital in Nepal's Rasuwa district.

For context, the Jibjibe Rural Hospital in Nepal's Rasuwa district was among the healthcare facilities that received critical medical equipment purchased from donations to The Indian Express Citizens' Relief Fund in the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal).

In the corridors of the light yellow-coloured building sit dozens of local residents, some waiting for their monthly vaccine, one waiting to obtain a knee injury looked at, another to secure the dentist's support with an aching tooth.

Welcome to Jibjibe Rural Hospital, situated on a hilltop in Rasuwa, a district in Nepal on the border with China that was among the hardest hit in the devastating flash floods that swept through the region late last month.

This neighbourhood primary medical centre generally acts as the first pitstop for nearby residents with everyday ailments, vaccinations, routine checkups and minor injuries. But over the past week-and-a-half, it has become something more significant – a beacon of hope for those injured in the floods.

When readers of The Indian Express stepped up to offer a helping hand, responding to this newspaper's call – from schoolchildren dipping into their pocket funds to businesses mobilising a day's wages to retired Army personnel sharing their pension, just as it was 11 years ago in the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake.

For context, the Jibjibe Rural Hospital in Nepal's Rasuwa district. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal) Their donations, constituting The Indian Express Citizens' Relief Fund, went towards the purchase of critical medical equipment worth Nepal Rs 1.2 crore for hospitals in the districts of Sindhupalchok, Rasuwa and Nuwakot. The equipment ranged from X-ray machines to infant radiant warmers, operation theatre tables to surgical equipment.

"On the day of the floods last month, we received 10 patients who were injured due to the flood. They were suffering from bone fractures, head injuries and collection of blood in lung cavities. While the remaining were referred to the district capital in Dhunche, from where the most serious ones were evacuated on a helicopter to Kathmandu, " remarked Dr Nirajan Bhatta, Medical Superintendent, Jibjibe Rural Hospital, we treated five of them here.

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Meanwhile, the Trishuli Hydro Power station lies in a destructed state and invisible in the photo (photo demonstrates the spot of the water way and the headgate) after the flash floods. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) Dr Bhatta notes most of the incoming residents now need psychosocial treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. "Just yesterday, we obtained a patient who was complaining of severe pain and discomfort. When I checked her vitals, everything was normal, nevertheless. We discovered out that the patient's father had died in the floods and she had eaten highly less in the days after it. This is a clear case of acute stress, " he remarked.

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Notably, the primary medical health centre at present has a minor OT, an X-ray machine, three emergency beds, two observation beds, an OPD room, a dental OPD, a delivery room and a lab. It is transitioning to a bigger hospital with 15 operating beds. "The building is almost complete and will be handed over by the contractor in a week, " remarked Harikrishan Debkota, chairman of the management committee of the hospital.

"The donations by the Express supported the centre a lot. With surgery equipment and OT tables here in Jibjibe, individuals did not have to go to Dhunche or Kathmandu (over 90 km away) for every minor procedure, " Debkota stated. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a "builder-bank" nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi's land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital's flagship urban reforms in limbo. A documented piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh's work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of administration data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, administration offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: [email protected].

For now, hospital in Nepal heals flood injured with a helping hand remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.