About Us & Our Cause

Friends of Patan Hospital (FOPH) is a U.S.- based charity which was organized in 2002 to support a unique and remarkable hospital in Kathmandu.  We are here to pair the resources of generous and caring people in the U.S. with the healthcare needs and know-how of the people of Nepal.

Our founders, primarily members of Montview Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, were inspired by the remarkable work being done at Patan Hospital, where excellent patient care is provided regardless of ability to pay.  Since 2002, our mission has expanded to include other endeavors working to improve health care in Nepal, including the Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Okhaldhunga Hospital in rural Nepal, and Hospice Nepal. 

Nepal is known as the beautiful land of the Himalayas and the home of Mt. Everest, but it is also one of the most impoverished countries in the world. More than half of its people live below the poverty line, and one person out of ten suffers from a disability.  Millions of Nepalis are without access to adequate health services, especially in the rural areas where they may have to walk for days to see a doctor.  The infant mortality rate is 6% in Kathmandu and 13% in rural Nepal.  Many of the government hospitals and health posts are understaffed and lack basic equipment.  Patan Hospital was founded by Christian missionaries in 1982 to address these problems head-on. 

While operating on a self-sustaining balanced budget for day-to-day operations, the hospital relies on outside support for capital expenditures and to cover the cost of hospital admissions for those unable to pay.  Because care for the poor is our number one priority, FOPH always gives as much to the Charity Care Fund as we are able - $50,000 per year since 2018 - thanks to the generosity of our donors.

FOPH has also contributed to numerous capital improvements at the hospital over the years, including a new maternity wing in 2009, a new ICU in 2010, an oxygen plant in 2012, a digital X-ray machine in 2014, two hemodialysis machines in 2019, and an operating table and light in 2019.  For many years, FOPH partnered with Project C.U.R.E. to ship needed medical supplies to Patan and Okhaldhunga hospitals.  We have also sponsored continuing education for staff at Patan, sending a team of doctors and nurses to train nurses for the new ICU and bringing the then-vice-chancellor of Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Dr. Jay Shah, to the U.S. in 2014 for a medical leadership conference.

 In 2007, thanks to a $500,000 gift from Jim and Marilyn Simons, an FOPH endowment fund was created to ensure that support for Patan Hospital will continue for years to come.  The endowment fund also creates an opportunity for Patan Hospital supporters to make donations to the hospital in their estate plans. 

100% of all money raised by FOPH is used directly to benefit the people in Nepal.  We have no paid staff and no overhead expenses to cover, and all our legal services are provided pro bono.  We are here to pair the generous resources of caring people in the U.S. with the healthcare needs of Nepal under the direction of those working on the ground in Nepal. 

Donations can be mailed directly to us, or made online via PayPal. Click here for more information, and Join Us!

The FOPH is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax deductible.