Bir Hospital to provide free brain tumour surgeries for one month

Kathmandu, June 8

The National Brain Tumor Center (NBTC) at Bir Hospital has announced that it will provide free brain tumour surgeries to patients registered over the next month.

The hospital made the announcement on Monday to mark World Brain Tumor Day, waiving surgical fees for newly registered brain tumor patients for one month. Bir Hospital also organised an awareness rally on brain tumours earlier in the day.

During a program held afterwards, Dr Chiradham Budhathoki was honoured with the “Champion of Neuro-Oncology Care 2026” award in recognition of his contribution to the development of neuro-oncology services in Nepal.

Prof Dr Rajiv Jha, head of the hospital’s Neurosurgery Department and founding chairperson of the National Brain Tumor Center, said many lives could be saved through timely treatment. He noted that the centre organises awareness programs annually to mark the occasion.

According to Jha, Bir Hospital performs between 30 and 40 brain tumour surgeries every month. Under normal circumstances, such procedures cost patients more than Rs 100,000.

Around 3,000 patients treated in a year

The National Brain Tumor Center also released the National Multicenter Brain Tumor Statistics for 2081 and 2082 BS. Data collected from more than 20 neuro-centres across Nepal show that nearly 3,000 brain tumour patients received treatment in 2082 BS, representing a 15.4 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

The data indicate that an additional 200 to 300 patients are entering treatment each year. Of the patients treated, 50.07 per cent were male and 49.93 per cent female. The average patient age was 46.32 years, with the highest number of cases found among people aged 30 to 50.

Increase in severe cases

The study found that glioma remains the most common type of brain tumour in Nepal. In 2082 BS, the proportion of high-grade glioma cases increased from 43.1 per cent to 55.9 per cent. Doctors say this suggests that many patients seek medical care only after the disease has progressed significantly.

The data also show an increase in meningioma cases, while the number of Grade-3 meningioma patients has declined. The highest number of patients came from Bagmati Province, while access to specialist services remains limited in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.

Doctors urge public not to ignore headaches

Prof Dr Jha urged people to seek medical consultation if they experience persistent headaches, vomiting, loss of consciousness, seizures, vision problems, hearing difficulties, or trouble swallowing.

He said the success rate of treatment increases significantly when the disease is detected at an early stage. The National Brain Tumor Center also emphasised the need for a hybrid operating room, radiosurgery equipment, and intraoperative tumour fluorescence technology to enable advanced treatment of complex brain tumours within Nepal.