Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH) was established in the premises of the Nepal Disabled Association (NDA) at the Khagendra New Life Centre in Jorpati in Kathmandu in August 1998.Its sole intention has been to provide quality orthopaedic care, at an affordable price, of which most Nepalese have been deprived.

Professor Shanker Raj Pathak who was the chairman of the Nepal Disabled Organisation at that time and Dr. Anil Shrestha who was an orthopaedic surgeon working in Bir Hospital then, worked together to bring the hospital to life. Professor Pathak became the founding Chairman of the Hospital Board and Dr. Anil Bahadur Shrestha became the founding Medical Director of the hospital.

The concept for an Adult Orthopaedic Hospital in the NDA premises was already planned by certain individuals from different organizations very early on.. NDA, the Rotary Club of Patan (Nepal) and the Rotary Clubs of Amherst South, New York and South Ontario District 7090 worked together in bringing the funds and planning the building of the hospital at the NDA premises. Late Rotarian Nanda Ram Bhakta Mathema from the Rotary Club of Patan and American Rotarian Jim Sinclair were the pioneers of the initial stage of the evolution of the Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital. The initial name of ‘ Nepal Adult Orthopaedic Hospital’ was kept because there already was a children’s orthopaedic centre in the area.

When Dr. Anil had come in the picture, the hospital building was already complete. The hospital could not be operational because of inadequate funds. Dr. Anil emerged in the picture then and he teamed up with Mr. Luc Salens, a Rotarian from Maldegem, Belgium. Luc raised money from various sources in Belgium and promised to support the running cost and initial capital expenses. Dr Anil garnered a team of doctors, nurses and administrative staff which numbered 15 initially and the hospital became operational since August 1998.

Dr. Saju Pradhan, who now is the Medical Director of the hospital, was also incorporated in the team as one of the first orthopaedic surgeons back in 1998. While Dr. Anil was the guiding force of the hospital in public relations and raising funds for future projects. Dr. Pradhan quietly handled the day to day clinical and surgical work of the hospital and gradually gave the place a look of a professional hospital. He also trained the junior doctors so that they were able to operate independently.
The hospital was named Nepal Orthopaedic Hospital and this hospital started treating both paediatric and adult patients. The hospital ran with 20 beds initially and there has been no looking back in the evolution of the hospital since its initial 20- bedded stage.

The hospital felt the need to expand as service demands grew and people from all over Nepal came for treatment. The reputation of the hospital as a charitable institution grew and more poor patients came. Soon there was realization that in order to be self-sustaining, the hospital needed to open up a private ward so that income could be generated. The same income could cover for the running costs of the hospital as well as give some cross-subsidy to the patients in the general ward.

With this concept the second phase of the hospital was planned and completed. This phase was only possible through the joint efforts of the well-wishers of the hospital. Many individuals were involved in raising money as well as funds from Rotary International through a Matching Grant were raised to successfully complete the second phase expansion of the hospital.