State of NSPM&R
Rehabilitation System and Capacity in Nepal
Rehabilitation services in Nepal remain underdeveloped relative to the country’s population needs and burden of disability. Despite increasing recognition of rehabilitation as an essential component of universal health coverage, substantial gaps persist in workforce capacity, training programs, infrastructure, service delivery, and financial protection
Rehabilitation Statistics
Rehabilitation Services Overview Nepal
3 Physiatrists
Nepal currently has three Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians
3 Rehabilitation Centers
Nepal operates the only three rehabilitation centers in the country.
2 Fellowship Positions / Year
2-year training launched through PAHS–SIRC collaboration
Nepal currently has three Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians (physiatrists), corresponding to approximately one physiatrist per 9.7 million population. There are 24 medical colleges nationwide but there is still no PM&R residency training program yet.
In 2024, a two-year PM&R fellowship program was established through collaboration between the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) and the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC). The program currently offers two fellowship positions every year for physicians who have completed a minimum of three years of residency training in a clinical specialty. While this initiative represents a significant advancement, the limited number and duration of training positions are insufficient to address the national shortage of physiatrists.
Training opportunities for other rehabilitation professionals are also limited. Nepal has one physiotherapy training institution and one audiology, speech, and language pathology training institution, but no occupational therapy training program. Furthermore, there are no master’s-level programs in physical therapy or speech therapy, and no formal training pathways in prosthetics, orthotics, or assistive and rehabilitation technology.
0
Public Centers
Nepal currently lacks any government-led rehab facilities.
3
Active Hubs
Services are delivered solely through NGO-operated centers.
3
Core Conditions
Focus is on spinal injury, stroke, and brain trauma.
Remote
Digital Reach
Telerehabilitation & community programs serve rural regions.
Bridging Nepal's Healthcare Gap
Rehabilitation Service Delivery and Infrastructure
Nepal lacks a government-led rehabilitation center, and rehabilitation services are predominantly delivered through non-governmental organizations, which operate the only three rehabilitation centers in the country.
Physiatry services are largely inpatient-based, with a focus on sub-acute rehabilitation care, and acute rehabilitation services remain limited or absent. At present, inpatient physiatry services are provided for spinal cord injury, stroke, and traumatic or acquired brain injury at the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC), and for stroke rehabilitation at Good Pastures Hospital. The Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC) does not currently include a physiatrist within its multidisciplinary rehabilitation team.
In addition, telerehabilitation services are available through SIRC, and community-based rehabilitation programs are implemented primarily by non-governmental organizations, contributing to service delivery in underserved regions.
