Nepal integrates Alternate Care Sites into the national Hospital Disaster Preparedness Plan

Nepal - To enhance Nepal’s emergency health response, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has integrated Alternate Care Sites (ACS) into the national Hospital Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan. Drawing on lessons from the 2015 earthquake, COVID-19, and recent disasters such as the 2023 Jajarkot earthquake and 2024 landslides and floods, these designated sites aim to ensure continuity of care when hospitals are structurally damaged or non-functional, making this initiative a vital step toward timely, resilient and life-saving emergency response. The initiative progressed through provincial consultative workshops in Kathmandu (21 May) and Nepalgunj (1 June) organized by the MoHP and WHO, engaging hub hospitals from all seven provinces alongside key stakeholders from local, provincial, and federal governments, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, National Emergency Operation Center, Municipal Association of Nepal and National Association of Rural Municipalities. A finalization workshop was held from 4-5 June 2025 with participation of partners and senior officials from the MoHP, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and International Organization for Migration. The guideline is designed to ensure that hospitals can continue providing essential and emergency health services, as stipulated in the Public Health Service Act 2075, even when facilities are compromised. With the national guidelines on “The Alternate Care Site during Emergency” now endorsed by the Minister of Health and Population, WHO will support its dissemination and provide orientation and on-site coaching for hub hospitals nationwide. This effort is part of Nepal’s broader hospital preparedness strategy, reinforcing the constitutional right to emergency care and supported by the European Commission.