Upendra Devkota (; 18 December 1953 – 18 June 2018) was a

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

i neurosurgeon and founder of the first neurological trauma unit in Nepal, located at

Bir Hospital Bir Hospital (बीर अस्पताल) is the oldest district general hospital is located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Bir Hospital is one of the busiest hospitals in Nepal. Bir Hospital is the one of teaching hospital by National Academy of Medi ...

. He held the post of Minister for Health, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal. Devkota was the founder of the National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, the first institute dedicated to Neurosciences in the country, and known as the father of Modern Neurosurgery in Nepal.

Biography

He was born in Gorkha in 1953 and received his high school education in Amar Jyoti Janata High School (commonly known as Luintel High School of Gorkha), Palungtar, Gorkha, Nepal. He was a classmate friend of

Baburam Bhattarai Baburam Bhattarai (, ; born 18 June 1954), also known by his nom de guerre Laaldhwoj, is a Nepalese politician, architect and former Prime Minister of Nepal, Prime Minister who presently serves as leader of the Nepal Socialist Party. Bhattarai ...

from class eight to Isc. He did intermediate of sciences (I Sc) education from Amrit Science college, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal and got Colombo Plan fellowship to pursue medical education in India. He completed Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 1978 from

Assam Medical College Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), formerly Berry White Medical School, is a government medical school and hospital in Dibrugarh, Assam, India. It was the first medical college in Assam and the whole of Northeast India. It is the terti ...

, Dibrugarh,

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, India and worked some years in Bir Hospital under Dr DN Gongol. He had also been a Health Minister of then His Majesty government of Nepal. For advanced training in neurosurgery, he went to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, where he trained at

Atkinson Morley Hospital Atkinson Morley Hospital (AMH) was located at Copse Hill near Wimbledon, south-west London, England from 1869 until 2003. Initially a convalescent hospital, it became one of the most advanced brain surgery centres in the world, and was involved ...

(now part of St Georges Hospital), Southern General Hospital Glasgow. He returned to Nepal in 1989 and started Neurosurgery in Bir Hospital. In 2006, he established National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences(NINAS) in Bansbari, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Personal life

He died of

cholangiocarcinoma Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stoo ...

on 18 June 2018. He has three daughters and a wife.

Gallery

File:British ambassdor paying homage to dr. devkota.jpg, alt=British ambassador to Nepal paying homage to Dr. Devkota, British ambassador to Nepal paying homage to Dr. Devkota File:Dr. Devkota while receiving the Dr. Balaram Joshi Gyan Bigyan prize.jpg, alt=Dr. Devkota while receiving the Dr. Balaram Joshi Gyan Bigyan prize, Dr. Devkota while receiving the Dr. Balaram Joshi Gyan Bigyan prize File:Dr. devkota being honoured before cremation.jpg, alt=Dr. Devkota being honoured before cremation, Dr. Devkota being honoured before cremation

References

1956 births 2018 deaths Health ministers of Nepal Science ministers of Nepal People from Gorkha District People from Kathmandu Neurosurgeons Nepalese surgeons Deaths from cholangiocarcinoma Khas people Nepalese expatriates in India Alumni of Assam Medical College {{Surgeon-stub