The Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Masashi Ogawa signed a grant contract today to provide the latest diagnostic devices to the International Concern Center (ICC),  for installation at the Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.

The agreement was signed between the Embassy of Japan and Dr. Anjan Shakya, Chairperson of ICC, a Nepalese NGO. 

The Project for the Provision of Medical Equipment to the Nepal Cancer Hospital in Lalitpur Metropolitan City is funded under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) of the Government of Japan. The grant assistance amounts to USD 84,551 (approximately NPR 8.6 million).

The grant will support the installation of state-of-art equipment such as a portable ultrasound with an echocardiography (ECG) machine for diagnosis, diagnostic devices for pancreatic duodenum cancer (ERCP), and a bronchoscope for diagnosis of lung cancer.

The Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Harisiddhi is a specialized hospital for cancer and has been offering services to more than 5,000 patients each year. The hospital also organizes free cancer screening in the rural areas that ICC has been supporting. The medical equipment will be used for both regular operations and the hospital's rural outreach.

The International Concern Center (ICC) was established in 2011 and has been working as a think tank for networking between international and national organizations by offering trainings, socio-political consultations, and awareness programs.

“The Embassy of Japan hopes that this project will contribute towards enhancing the hospital’s services to better serve cancer patients, and also strengthen the bilateral relationship between Japan and Nepal,”said a press release issued by Japanese Embassy.