In Nepal, inaccessible healthcare forces rural families to travel long distances, leading to catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) that push households into poverty. In 2016, health spending was 6.7% of GDP, with 55% from out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses and only 19% from public funding, highlighting the financial burden on individuals.
Brahmasthani Awareness Society (BAS) works to bridge this gap by easing financial and logistical barriers, ensuring vulnerable families access essential care. Committed to addressing systemic inequities in health and education, BAS provides a vital lifeline, striving for a more just and equitable society.
Background
Since 2001 (2057 BS), Brahmasthani Awareness Society (BAS), an NGO, has worked to address the challenges of centralized healthcare in Kathmandu. While the government provides free treatment for the poor, it lacks safe accommodations, forcing patients to stay on the streets without food or shelter.
To bridge this gap, BAS offers free food, accommodation, and medical assistance to underprivileged patients referred to Kathmandu’s government hospitals. After 12 years of effort, BAS established Aarogya Patient Shelter, ensuring vulnerable patients receive care with dignity and support.
BAS was registered in the Kathmandu District Administration Office in 2001 and is affiliated to the Social Welfare Council.
Why BAS?
In Nepal, centralized healthcare forces patients with critical illnesses to travel long distances to Kathmandu, often at great financial and emotional cost. Many of these patients, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, struggle to afford food, lodging, and medical care while undergoing treatment. Despite government health provisions, there is no system ensuring a safe stay for patients and their families, leaving them vulnerable on the streets or having catastrophic health expenditures due additional cost of accomodation and food in their treatment period.
BAS has worked to set a relief point for these patients evolving from a small five-bed shelter to Aarogya Patient Shelter, now accommodating over 30 patients including their caretaker on a daily basis. Between Mangsir 2079 and Mangsir 2080, 109 patients resided at BAS, with kidney (17.4%) and heart-related (16.5%) diseases being the most common. Among 35 children at BAS, 44.1% were battling blood cancer. These numbers highlight the critical role BAS plays in supporting vulnerable patients.
Beyond just shelter and meals, BAS ensures that children accompanying their parents receive continued education. It believes that with proper care, patients can recover and regain independence, contributing to their families and society. By easing financial and logistical burdens, BAS stands as a vital safety net, ensuring that no patient is denied treatment due to their economic or geographical circumstances.