Nepal-Korea Team Performs Complex Heart Surgeries on Seven Children, Expands Collaboration to Infection Control

A joint team of Nepali and South Korean cardiac surgeons has successfully performed complex congenital heart surgeries on seven children at Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre (SGNHC), marking another milestone in Nepal’s growing international collaboration in specialised cardiac care.

The surgeries were carried out by pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Woong-Ham Kim of the W.J. Lee Global Medical Center, Seoul National University, alongside pediatric cardiac surgeons from SGNHC. Dr. Kim has been travelling to Nepal for the past 15 years to provide voluntary medical support, while the Seoul National University team under his leadership has been visiting the country annually for the last six years to support complex pediatric cardiac surgeries and care after surgery. All seven children are recovering well following the operations, according to the heart centre.

The surgical collaboration was followed by a one-day workshop on the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), jointly organised by SGNHC and Seoul National University, as part of broader efforts to improve patient safety and healthcare quality.

The workshop featured five professors and infection control experts from the Republic of Korea, who shared international best practices, recent advances and practical approaches to preventing healthcare-associated infections in hospital settings.

Speaking at the programme, Dr. Rabindra Bhakta Timala, Acting Executive Director of SGNHC, said the knowledge and recommendations gained from the workshop would be incorporated into the centre’s clinical practice to further strengthen infection prevention measures and enhance the quality of patient care.

He said the collaboration reflects the importance of combining advanced clinical expertise with stronger infection prevention systems, particularly in complex surgical care.

Dr. Timala added that international partnerships such as the one with Seoul National University play a vital role in technology transfer, professional knowledge exchange and capacity building, helping Nepal strengthen its cardiac services and move closer to international standards of healthcare.