Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. This centre of medical excellence has achieved a long list of milestones and is now a trailblazer of international medical care in the region.
The hospital, which opened its doors in 1993, welcomes both local and international patients. As Nepal’s popularity grows as a tourist destination especially for adventure seekers around the world, Norvic International Hospital have been actively improving its facilities to cater to the growing medical needs of the people in Nepal as well as international patients.
We speak to the humble and truly dedicated Managing Director of Norvic International Hospital, Megha Chaudhary Shakya, about the hospital’s future plans.
1Twenty80: Can you share with us a little about norvic international hospital?
Megha Chaudhary Shakya: Norvic is the leading medical specialty center that was established in 1993 by Chaudhary Group, one of the leading corporate houses in Nepal. Norvic International hospital is a 150 bed; state-of-the-art, multi-specialty, tertiary care hospital located in Kathmandu, Nepal.
As a testimony to its high standards, Norvic is the first Hospital in Nepal with NABL accreditation with its high-tech laboratory services and it is also certified for ISO 9001:2015 standards.
The hospital plays an active role in promoting and improving health within the community and collaborates with diverse partners to address the needs of the community actively participating to build a strong and integrated system for the regional healthcare and delivery.
1Twenty80: Who was the founder of norvic international hospital?
Megha: It was my beloved father, Shri Basant K. Chaudhary to start the health care services in 1993. My father, a social enthusiast, poet and lyricist was very much sentimental towards social causes.
During his childhood, my father had to undergo medical treatment at one of the renowned hospitals of that time. Even then, he had to sleep in a bed with blood stains! He then realised and dreamt of a good standard medical outfit in Nepal for the people of Nepal. In his words, “Norvic International Hospital is his dream child, his baby” and just as his father, the late Lunkaran Das Chaudahry, whose commitment was to serve the community and the country at large.
1Twenty80: Can you share with us the role of norvic international hospital towards international patients?
Megha: Norvic is the first hospital in Nepal to be certified with ISO management system for its remarkable and quality management standards. Being the pioneer health care service provider with state-of-the-art technologies, it was the first hospital in the country to initiate interventional or definitive cardiac therapy, supported by other preventive, therapeutic, curative measure with world class surgical and rehabilitative facilities.
Norvic now runs a separate and dedicated International Emergency Care Unit (IECU); a separate premium floor specially dedicated to foreign patients and so on. Apart from the above, the following arrangements have been made to facilitate international patients:
Airport clinic: Located at the arrival lounge of TIA (Tribhuvan International Airport), a trained medical team is available to take care of all medical emergencies with a standby fully equipped ambulance to transfer patients to Norvic International Hospital if needed.
Facilitation services: Norvic Hospital has a full-fledged facilitation office to help foreigners in arrangement of taxis, air transport, bus bookings and includes hotel bookings.
Insurance company sub link: Norvic has tied up with renowned international insurance companies and has working relationships with more than 100 international insurance companies worldwide.
Norvic’s Assistance to foreign patients: Norvic ensures all our foreign patients are at ease in a foreign land. International magazines and newspapers of their choice and food as per their liking are made available as per availability.
Translators: Norvic has staff who can speak in Mandarin, Japanese, Bahasa Malaysia, Russian, Tagalog, Hindi and so on. We can also arrange translators for French, German, Spanish and other European languages as required on payment basis.
In recognition of Norvic’s outstanding care to their foreign patients, the hospital has been recently awarded with a Medical Tourism Certification, the first ever in the medical history of Nepal. The award was conferred by the United States of America based Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA).
1Twenty80: Can you also share with us the emergency contact number or what tourists can do if they would like to seek help from norvic international hospital?
Megha: Yes, of course, the following are Norvic International Hospital emergency contact numbers:
Emergency: +977 14101600
Direct OPD appointment: +977 14101623, 4101624
Ambulance: +977 9803111 111, 9803 222 222
(Writer’s Note: Do take a picture or save these numbers if you’re making a trip to Nepal)
Patients may also make online appointment by logging into our website (www.norvichospital.com) and reports can also be downloaded through this, worldwide.
1Twenty80: I understand that norvic international hospital also helps individuals who are under privileged. could you share with us more about this initiative?
Megha: Yes, we have been regularly providing health care services to patients in need.
Amongst many others, Norvic has rescued a blind person from the streets and provided him necessary treatment and care. He has also completed his Masters in Tabala playing. After the necessary medical treatment at Norvic, he was sent to an eye hospital
Til Ganga Eye Centre to check on any possibility of continuing treatment for his eyes.
It’s so sad to see our countrymen helpless and in pain. May God always give us enough strength to support those in need.
Norvic’s philosophy also stresses upon human services. Therefore, Norvic is fully committed towards its CSR obligations which include:
- Regular Community Outreach Programs (COP) and free clinics.
- Free general medical check-up camps for the needy and street children annually.
- Free Hepatitis vaccination camp for hundreds of jail inmates at Central Jail in Kathmandu.
- Free public health awareness talk shows on various ailments, once a month.
- Norvic has been conducting free health checkup mega camps in the rural parts of the country, such as Jajjarkot. Dolakha, Kavre, Nuwakot, Dhangadhi and other urban areas such as Birgunj, Biratnagar, Pokhara and so on.
- Free health camps along with distribution of relief materials to the victims of over 40 quake affected areas. In addition, free medical treatment was provided to the quake victims at Norvic hospital.
- Several camps were also organised for post-disaster outbreak disease control after the 2015 earthquake and Sunkoshi floods in Sindhupalchowk.
1Twenty80: What are the steps you’re taking to ensure that norvic international hospital continues to cater to the always changing health, disease and lifestyle trends?
Megha: Our role is not only confined to medical treatment in terms of diagnostic, therapeutic and curative measures. We are equally dedicated to preventive measure as ‘prevention is always better than cure’. We do regularly organise public awareness talk shows, workshops, seminars, continuous medical education (CME) and free medical outreach medical camps in different parts of the country.
Messages of lifestyle modifications such as stress free or de-stress mechanisms, physical and mental exercise, dietary aspects and the importance of periodic health screening are regularly shared in the hopes that it will help many people overcome any untoward situation in their life.
