Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: India has gifted 40 ambulances to various health institutions across 33 districts of seven provinces of Nepal.
The ambulances were handed over at ceremonies held simultaneously in Kathmandu, Birgunj, Pokhara and Dharan, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu. Of the total, 22 ambulances were distributed in Kathmandu, 7 each in Birgunj and Pokhara and four in Dharan.
Prasanna Shrivastava, deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy, handed over the vehicle keys to representatives of local governments and beneficiary organisations in Kathmandu. Speaking on the occasion, Shrivastava said gifting of ambulances has been one of the long-standing initiatives of the Government of India under the Nepal-India Development Partnership to help Nepal strengthen its infrastructure in the health sector. He added that this initiative is a part of the larger, robust and vibrant development partnership between the two countries, which has expanded, deepened and diversified over the last seven decades.
Since 1994, India has gifted a total of 1,049 ambulances to Nepal. It recently provided 15 electric vehicles to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for use during the ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’.
