Waste treatment site inaugurated in Dulikhel hospital

Kathmandu, June 3: A new Healthcare Waste Management Treatment Site with autoclaves was inaugurated at Dhulikhel Hospital today.     

The inauguration was led by Founder and Executive Director of Dhulikhel Hospital, Dr Ram Kantha Makaju, and German Ambassador to Nepal Udo Eugen Volz. Supported through the German Development Cooperation’s S2HSS-II programme implemented by GIZ Nepal, the initiative strengthens environmentally sound healthcare waste management practices at the hospital.     

The newly inaugurated autoclave system will contribute to safer treatment of infectious healthcare waste, helping protect healthcare workers, patients, surrounding communities, and the environment. The initiative further supports the hospital’s ambition to become a national Center of Excellence for Healthcare Waste Management Training.     

Since January 2026, technical assistance provided through the programme has supported Dhulikhel Hospital in improving waste segregation, transportation, treatment, and disposal practices in line with Nepal’s National Healthcare Waste Management Standards and Operating Procedures-2020.     

Likewise, a rooftop solar project was also launched at Dhulikhel Hospital today. The project is financed by the German government through the KfW Development Bank. It is part of the German Development Cooperation’s broader support to renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure development in Nepal.     

Under the project, Dhulikhel Hospital will receive a 500-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system with battery storage, expected to be completed in 2026. The system will improve the reliability of electricity supply for critical healthcare services including operation theatres, emergency care, and pathology laboratories.     

Installed across multiple hospital facilities, the solar system is expected to generate approximately 778 MWh of electricity annually and reduce the hospital’s energy costs by an estimated NPR 9.5 million per year while contributing to lower carbon emissions.     

 Germany has been a long-standing development partner of Nepal in the fields of renewable energy, healthcare, and sustainable economic development. Through financial cooperation implemented by KfW and technical cooperation implemented by GIZ and PTB, Germany continues to support Nepal’s efforts towards inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable development. Media Contact: German Embassy Kathmandu / KfW Nepal / GIZ Nepal     

Meanwhile, the rehabilitated Dhulikhel Drinking Water Supply System was inaugurated today by Acting Mayor of Dhulikhel Municipality Nirajan Jangam and German Ambassador Volz. The rehabilitation was financed by the German Government through the Support to the Health Sector Strategy (S2HSS) programme implemented by GIZ Nepal.     

Originally established in 1992, through cooperation between Nepal and Germany, the Dhulikhel Drinking Water Supply System has long served as a model for community-managed water services in Nepal, providing safe drinking water to more than 20,000 residents and key institutions including Dhulikhel Hospital and Kathmandu University.     

Following severe damage caused by floods and landslides in September 2024, the German Government committed up to EUR 120,000 for rehabilitation works, complemented by co-financing from Dhulikhel Municipality. The rehabilitation included reconstruction of the damaged intake structures, stabilization works, and maintenance of transmission pipelines, in order to restore access to safe drinking water for the community.(RSS)