25 Chait, Dharan. There is no city hospital in Dharan sub-metropolitan city with a population of about 2 lakh. Even for general treatment, city dwellers have to go to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. There are 4,000 patients who come for treatment in this hospital every day, and there is a situation where they have to line up all day long to get even the same services.

In the case of general public who have health insurance, BP Foundation has been providing the first point of service. But the period of that service is now only three months. After three months, there is confusion as to where the insured will go to get the service of the first point.

After three months, two lakh citizens of Dharan will either have to go to another local level government hospital and bring the recommendation of the first point.

The land dispute of the old Dharan hospital has come to the fore since the government hospital that recommends the first point under health insurance is not in the city.

The dispute over the land arose after the question of building a city hospital on the land of Dharan Hospital, which was established during the Rana period and is currently in ruins. The land of Dharan Hospital is currently owned by BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences.

After the Panchayat Basic School (Bhakari School) located in Dharan-16 was merged with Chandra Sanskriti Mavi and Dharan Nagar Hospital was opened there, the discussion about the land of Dharan Hospital started on social media and various media.

The representatives of the political parties and local civic leaders have hesitated the Acting Mayor of the sub-metropolitan city, Aindra Vikram Begha, to bring back the land of Dharan Hospital and establish a city hospital.

Most of the stakeholders from Dharan residents have been demanding that the ownership of the land of the old hospital should be brought back to Dharan sub-metropolitan city and a city hospital should be built at the same place. Suspecting that Bhakari is trying to run a hospital in the school, the stakeholders have said that they are ready to go and protest at their own expense to which ministry they have to go to in order to return the ownership of the land of the old hospital.

Acting mayor of Dharan Begha said after the suggestion of the civil society, ‘I am also in favor of building a city hospital at the place where the old hospital is. But we cannot forget the fact that in 2074 the land was named after BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences.’

Old Dharan Hospital land

In 1992, during the time of Rana Prime Minister Juddhashamsher, social worker Subba Ratna Prasad Shrestha brought a doctor from Calcutta to facilitate treatment services.

Subba Ratna Prasad Dharan is considered as a market expander. After bringing the doctor, it was decided to build Dharan Hospital on the land near the present Chhatachok. The local community donated land in the name of the hospital. A small hospital came into operation on the land donated by the locals. There is no record of the area of ​​the donated land in the beginning. But currently one bigha 13 kattha land seems to be the best.

The hospital was declared as a government hospital in 2007. Local expert Dr. Rajendra Sharma said, ‘In the year 2027, the land was surveyed to become the property of Dharan Hospital.’

Since 2050, BP Foundation has been operating in Dharan and the services of Dharan City Hospital have also been shifted to BP Foundation. Since Dharan Hospital was operated under the Ministry of Health, the ownership of the land was also transferred to the Ministry of Health.

The hospital, which was run under the supervision of the Rana government and the initiative of the general public, was built by the family of the then wealthy Jagannath Dedharaj of Biratnagar on 18th January 2026 with a donation of 211,000 rupees.

The foundation stone of the building was laid by the then Prime Minister Kirtinidhi Bishta and inaugurated on 7th May 2029 by the then Queen Aishwarya in the presence of King Birendra. The building is currently in ruins.

The same hospital was upgraded and developed as the Eastern Regional Hospital. In the year 2050, after BP establishment was established in Dharan-18 Ghopa, the regional hospital was shifted to Biratnagar. Along with the hospital, all the medical equipment and manpower were also moved to Biratnagar.

Since 2050, BP Foundation has been operating in Dharan and the services of Dharan City Hospital have also been shifted to BP Foundation. Since Dharan Hospital was operated under the Ministry of Health, the ownership of the land was also transferred to the Ministry of Health.

People’s representatives of the municipality, political parties and city residents kept forgetting Dharan Hospital. The land became unusable. Some of them encroached on the land and built houses next to each other. The maternity building became a ruin. After being filled with bushes, it became a hotbed for drug addicts and those doing unwanted activities.

Considering the necessity of a government city hospital in Dharan, it was learned that it was formally transferred to the ownership of BP Foundation in 2074 by the Ministry of Health, while preparations were being made to operate the Dharan Hospital (city hospital) in the old hospital in Chatachok.

Now, stakeholders are putting pressure on Begha, Kawa Mayor of Dharan, to return the land to the ownership of the municipality for the operation of the city hospital.

Begha BP Institute Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. He said that he asked Vikram Shrestha to return the land. But Shrestha has said that he does not have the capacity to return the land.

Vice Chancellor Shrestha is the grandson of Subba Ratnaprasad who brought doctors from Kolkata during the Rana period and started modern health care services for common people in Dharan.

Begha wrote a letter to the Prime Minister

After the pressure of the civil society, Begha, the mayor of Dharan, has written a letter to Prime Minister Balendra Shah to arrange the return of the previous land for the establishment of Dharan City Hospital. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed that the letter has been received.

Dr. on behalf of civil society and intellectuals. After Rajendra Sharma suggested that the decision of the Ministry or Council of Ministers is necessary to build Dharan Hospital on the land of the old hospital, Kava Mayor wrote a letter addressed to Pram Shah.

Kawa Begha said that the land of the old Dharan Hospital, which had gone to the name of the BP Foundation, was requested to be returned to the name of the Dharan Nagar Hospital. He said, ‘A request letter has been sent to provide the land of the old hospital so that no one can be deprived of health services in Dharan.’

According to the decision of the Council of Ministers dated 11th July 2075, it is mentioned in the letter that legal problems have arisen due to the fact that the land has been named in the name of BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Begha said that since the same place is suitable for a city hospital, the Prime Minister has been requested to make necessary arrangements to provide the land again in the name of Dharan Hospital.

“Dharan’s delegation is preparing to go to Kathmandu regarding this matter,” he said.