KATHMANDU: Senior physician and pioneer of neurosurgery in Nepal, Dinesh Nath Gangol, passed away on Tuesday morning at his residence in Kathmandu. He was 92.
His last rites are scheduled to be performed later today. The medical community has described his demise as the end of an era in Nepal’s healthcare sector.
Dr Gangol is credited with introducing neurosurgery services in Nepal and performing several complex surgical procedures in the country for the first time. These include operations for pituitary tumors, laminectomy for spinal injuries, pneumonectomy of the lungs, mitral valvotomy of the heart, and various advanced abdominal surgeries.
He also served as the founding director of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and dedicated over four decades of service at Bir Hospital. Over the course of his career, he is reported to have performed more than 40,000 surgeries.
Born in 1933 in Kathmandu, Dr Gangol completed his Bachelor of Science from Tri-Chandra College. He later earned his MBBS from Darbhanga Medical College and an MS degree from Grant Medical College.
After returning to Nepal in 1961, he began his medical career at Bir Hospital, marking the start of a transformative journey in the country’s surgical field.
The Nepal Medical Association has expressed deep condolences, stating that his passing is an irreparable loss to Nepal’s medical fraternity.
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