The Nepal Cleft and Burn Center, pioneered by Dr. Shankar Man Rai, revolutionized reconstructive surgery in Nepal, providing free treatment to over 20,000 patients while building local medical expertise.
In a country where reconstructive surgery was once “unheard of,” the Nepal Cleft and Burn Center has transformed thousands of lives through free surgeries and comprehensive care. What began as American textile retailer Jim Webber’s chance encounter in Nepal evolved into the country’s first teaching hospital for reconstructive surgery.
The Center, opened in 2014 in Kirtipur, emerged from a 2002 initiative combining international expertise with local medical talent. Under the leadership of Dr. Shankar Man Rai and Dr. Kiran Nakarmi, it has treated over 20,000 cleft patients and increasingly focused on critical burn care as cleft cases declined.
“Before the 1980s, cleft and burn treatment through plastic surgery was unheard of in the country,” Dr. Rai said in an interview with the Nepali Times, reflecting on the journey from relying on international volunteers to building local expertise.
Dr. Rai’s own story mirrors Nepal’s surgical evolution. Born to a farming family in rural Nepal, he became the first in his family to pursue higher education. After observing visiting ReSurge doctors perform cleft surgery, he trained in the United States before returning home to serve his community. He went on to perform over 12,000 free surgeries, establish Nepal’s first plastic surgery residency program, and create a model for surgical outreach that spread across the developing world. His work earned him multiple international honors, including the American Medical Association’s Nathan R. Davis Award.
The facility’s impact extends beyond surgery — they provide speech therapy, counseling, and conduct outreach camps in remote areas. A striking success story is Pritam Kunwar, who transformed from a boat operator struggling with speech to a Taekwondo instructor after receiving comprehensive treatment.
While cleft surgeries have halved in the past decade, burn cases present growing challenges. The center treats about 600 patients annually, with women and children comprising the majority. Despite limited government support and only 30 beds, the team maintains its commitment to free treatment through international funding Jim Webber’s efforts as well as from ReSurge International and Smile Train.
The Center, now expanding with a new branch in Itahari, exemplifies what focused local expertise can achieve. Dr. Rai captured this vision in his interview with the Nepali Times: “I am sure we will see a day when no patient seeking treatment in Nepal has to live with scars, both figuratively, and literally.”
With each surgery performed by its team of dedicated Nepali doctors, this dream inches closer to reality.
Read more about the Nepal Cleft and Burn Center in an article from August 2023 by Yugeshwor Koirala for the Nepali Times: Removing Scars
Read more about Dr. Shankar Man Rai in this article from 2017 by Joanne Silberner for Global Health NOW: Reconstructing Hope: A Surgeon’s Mission to Help Nepal’s Burn Patients
Watch this video from 2014 about the Nepal Cleft and Burn Center:
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