Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: While there are people who donate the wealth they earn over a lifetime, it is rare to find someone who sells their own house and dedicates the proceeds to society. Ram Prasad Koirala of Palpa is one of them.
A former staff member of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Koirala has donated Rs 15 million to establish an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) ward at the Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH). At a program held in Kathmandu on Friday, Ram Prasad handed over the check to KIOCH Chairperson Prof Dr Bhagwan Koirala.
Ram Prasad raised the funds by selling his own house in Kathmandu. The inspiration behind this act, however, comes from a deeply personal pain within his own family.
Koirala’s eldest daughter, Aparna, lost her hearing at an early age. At the time, Nepal lacked adequate treatment facilities. Doctors had recommended seeking care at AIIMS in India or Mahidol University in Thailand.
Coincidentally, around the same time, Koirala received an opportunity to visit Laos as a United Nations volunteer. He left the country in 1982.
“Many people tried to stop me, asking why I would become a volunteer despite being an engineer,” he recalled. “But I had only one hope—that my daughter’s treatment might be possible.”
Although Aparna received treatment in Bangkok, her hearing was not fully restored. However, the experience changed the course of his life. After serving as a volunteer in Laos for two years, he moved to Vietnam through UNICEF and later worked on child-focused projects in several countries, including Sudan. During this period, he witnessed countless stories of deprivation, suffering and hope.
After retiring, Koirala wrote a book in memory of his mother and grandmother. But writing alone did not bring him peace. As someone who grew up without his mother’s care and under his grandmother’s love, he made that life experience the central theme of the book.
According to him, it was this deep sense of devotion to his mother that inspired his decision to donate.
“For a long time, I kept asking myself—how can I express my love for my mother not just in words, but through action?” he said.
Eventually, he decided to sell his own house and use the money to support a children’s hospital. “This donation, made in memory of my mother and grandmother, is the greatest expression of my love for them.”
Selling a house built through years of hard work was not an easy decision for the family. “We do not lack anything to live. Our children are already independent. I felt this property should now serve society,” he said.
Earlier, he had also donated Rs 1 million to Damak Hospital in Jhapa to procure equipment for ear treatment and another Rs 1 million to Hepali Heights Hospital in Kathmandu.
Hospital chairman Prof Dr Bhagwan Koirala, who is Ram Prasad’s nephew, said KIOCH is currently going through a difficult financial phase, which makes such contributions extremely valuable.
According to him, the hospital building has been completed with small contributions from thousands of Nepalis and services have already begun. “However, we still need significant financial resources for essential equipment, operational costs and service expansion,” he added.
Meanwhile, KIOCH has honored Ram Prasad with the “Platinum Partner of KIOCH” award.
