Institute of Medicine, Nepal

ВThe Institute of Medicine (IOM), Nepal, located in the capital city of Kathmandu, is the premier medical institution of
Nepal.

The Institute of Medicine has been entrusted with :

• Developing Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level of Human Resources for
  Health;
  
• Undertaking Scientific Research in the field of Health Sciences;
  
• Providing Curative, Rehabilitative, Promotional and Preventive Health Care
  Services;
  
• Activating Continuing Education for Health Professionals;
  
• Providing Training to Certificate-level Health Personnel.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), established in 1972 at Tribhuvan
University, was entrusted with the responsibility of training health care
workers at all levels for the health care manpower needs of Nepal. Within the
first decade of its establishment, the IOM developed a total of 12 campuses
scattered over the country -- 3 campuses in Kathmandu and 9 campuses outside the
Kathmandu Valley.

Initially, the emphasis of IOM was on the training of middle-level health
workers. Programmes serving this purpose include ANM, CMA, Proficiency
Certificate Course in General Medicine, Pharmacy, Radiology, Physiotherapy,
Nursing, Health Laboratory and Traditional Medicine.

With the passage of time, the institutional goals of IOM have continued to
change. The mission of the IOM eventually expanded into training tertiary level
health professionals. By 1977 it had at the graduate level a 2-year Bachelor of
Nursing Programmes in Community Nursing, Paediatric Nursing and Adult
Nursing.

In 1978, a community-oriented integrated MBBS programme was started with
intake of 22 students. Subsequently the class size was increased to 40, and
plans are underway to increase the number.

Tribhuvan
University Hospital, a 300-bed teaching hospital, was completed in 1984 with
support from JICA, and another 100 beds were added in 1993. At 426 beds,
Tribhuvan University Hospital is currently the largest hospital in country,
providing new tertiary level health service to the Nepalese people. This
hospital is the site of teaching and research activities of IOM.

At post-graduate level, a three-year Postgraduate Generalist (Family Physician)
Training and one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Anaesthesiology were started in 1982 and 1984,
respectively, with support from the University of Calgary, Canada. Today the
IOM has a total of 29 different programmes, from proficiency certificate level
to the highest postgraduate degree in medicine, public health, paramedical,
nursing and traditional Ayurved
medicine through Tribhuvan University Hospital and 9 campuses scattered all over
the country.

To maintain the quality of its academic programmes, the IOM has established
linkage programmes with various well-recognised institutions and universities
all over the world.