KMC to provide free treatment for ‘Samba’

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) has announced that it will provide free medical treatment to Sabitra Bhandari, captain and star forward of the Nepal women’s national football team, if she chooses to undergo treatment in Nepal.

In a press release issued on Monday, KMC Chief Administrative Officer Narayan Prasad Dahal stated that the institution was deeply concerned after Bhandari sought public support on social media for her medical treatment.

Bhandari has been injured for the past seven weeks and is suffering from serious damage to both the knee graft from a previous surgery and her MCL (medial collateral ligament).

She had earlier undergone knee surgery at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Qatar and now requires another complex operation.

Dahal said it was heartbreaking that a national icon was struggling to access essential medical care due to financial constraints.

He added that KMC is fully capable of performing the complex knee surgery, including treatment of the graft and MCL, and therefore announced that the hospital is ready to treat Bhandari free of cost if she agrees to be treated in Nepal.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, Bhandari had appealed for financial support through her official Facebook page, stating that her treatment would cost around USD 80,000.

She explained that although the All Nepal Football Association had previously managed all arrangements for her treatment, this time the federation could only attempt to facilitate support.

She said ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang had offered assistance of up to Rs 500,000, and asked her to manage the remaining procedures herself.

Following her appeal, Dahal responded within hours, stating that it was deeply painful that a “national jewel” was forced to cry out on social media for life-changing medical treatment.

He emphasized that KMC has the required expertise and facilities to conduct the complex knee surgery in Nepal.

Kathmandu Medical College is primarily owned by Nepali Congress leader and Member of Parliament from Morang Constituency No. 3, Sunil Sharma.

Sharma has been organizing free health camps across Nepal and providing free treatment to patients at Nobel Medical College and KMC.

He recently donated Rs 2 million to the Nepal men’s cricket team and had previously donated another Rs 2 million, totaling Rs 4 million, along with announcing free medical treatment for players.

Bhandari, regarded as the most accomplished and successful forward in the history of Nepal’s women’s national team, expressed disappointment that when she sought help from ANFA — which she considers her guardian institution — she was told that the injury had occurred while playing for her club. She said she was disheartened by the response.

She also shared that efforts were made through her representatives to seek government support, but the process did not move forward as expected.

This led her to appeal publicly for financial assistance.

Bhandari reaffirmed her commitment to give 100 percent for the country once she fully recovers from her injury.

The captain, who has played professionally in Europe and helped introduce Nepali women’s football to the international stage, has received widespread public sympathy.

On social media, Kathmandu Medical College’s generosity is being widely praised, while both the All Nepal Football Association and the Government of Nepal are being criticized for their perceived indifference toward the treatment of one of the nation’s most celebrated athletes.