Bhaktapur Hospital to Launch Robotic Surgery

Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur Hospital is set to launch state-of-the-art robotic surgery, enabling complex surgeries including cardiac procedures with a long distance between patients and specialist doctors. This marks the first time a government hospital in Nepal will begin robotic surgery, following successful robotic surgeries in countries like India. Robotic surgery is a technology where doctors can treat patients in hospitals in another country while sitting in a room anywhere in the world. Although private hospitals have already started offering such treatment services, the robotic surgery that Bhaktapur Hospital is preparing to launch is said to be state-of-the-art. Health Minister of Bagmati Province, Kiran Thapa Magar, stated that the provincial government has initiated the process to start robotic surgery service for the first time in a government hospital at Bhaktapur Hospital. He said, "The Bagmati Province government has made an effort to operate robotic surgery for the first time in a government hospital in Nepal using state-of-the-art equipment and technology; a tender has already been called for it. Through this, we can provide easy and accessible treatment services to patients." The Bagmati Province government, led by Chief Minister Indra Baniyan and Health Minister Kiran Thapa, decided to bring robotic surgery with the goal of providing accessible treatment by bringing quality technology into government hospitals. Health Minister Thapa said that this is the beginning of a new era for Nepal's health sector, as specialist doctors will perform surgery using robotic technology while looking at a large screen mounted on the wall. Dr. Ranjish Kumar Pahadi Chhetri, Robotic Specialist and Consultant Surgeon at Bhaktapur Hospital, informed that the use of robotic technology in surgery will be beneficial and convenient for both doctors and patients. Bhaktapur Hospital, with a history of over a century in Nepal's medical sector, has been providing reliable health services. In recent years, the hospital has consistently achieved excellent rankings among government hospitals and is modernizing its services with the demands of the time and new technologies. He stated that Bhaktapur Hospital will be developed as a training center for robotic surgery along with its service. Bhaktapur Hospital has also announced that it will operate the necessary manpower for starting that service. Dr. Pahari claimed that with the start of robotic surgery, Bhaktapur Hospital has moved beyond traditional treatment methods and has become a leading treatment and learning center in Nepal. Dr. Tribhuvan Chandra Jha, Acting Director of the hospital, said that through this technology introduced in government hospitals, poor and disadvantaged patients will also receive accessible treatment with the world's best and most modern technology. What is Robotic Surgery? Dr. Pahari explains that robotic surgery is not performed by the machine or robot itself, but rather by a surgeon controlling the robot. According to him, when doctors operate the equipment, the robot's arms move very finely and precisely inside the patient's abdomen, and surgery is performed through them. At Bhaktapur Hospital, the goal is to use this technology for complex conditions such as repairing abdominal muscles, hernias, tumors of the stomach and intestines, gallstones, uterine tumors, complex kidney and prostate problems, as well as cardiac, bariatric, and pediatric surgeries. This technology, which involves less pain and lower cost, will be performed through small incisions rather than large ones in the abdomen. Since the wound will be small, patients will experience less pain, and it will be easier for them to move around and return home sooner after surgery. It is believed that the treatment using this technology will significantly reduce the patient's expenses and hospital stay. The hospital has stated that the robotic registry details will be organized to make the new technology more systematic and secure. The hospital's surgeons will regularly conduct research on how to make the technology more effective for Nepali patients. Along with this, preparations are underway to make the hospital the leading Center of Excellence in Nepal for teaching robotic surgery along with training.