Neuroscience made its first glimpse in Nepal, in the December of 1961. Dr.D.N.Gongal ,he performed the very first bi-temporal decompression for severe head injury at Bir Hospital. With the help of Professor K. V. Matthai from Vellore, India, Gongal also established a 6-bed neurosurgery ward at Bir hospital on October 19, 1981.
Seeing immense potential in the field they assigned Dr Upendra Devkota to specialize in the field of neurosurgery and arranged for him to receive training at the very reputable,Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow in August 1983.
On his return, Dr Devkota set up the first neurosurgical unit in the country. He was performing cases in modern surgery by February 1989 and offering postgraduate training to future neurosurgeons of Nepal in the year 2000, at the Bir Hospital.
Prof. Upendra Devkota when appointed as the Ministry of Health started the National Academic of Health Sciences (NAMS) at Bir Hospital in 2002. Dr Gongal was the Founding Director and kept working alongside Prof Devkota who was assigned as the Health Minister for Nepal. Fellowship in Neurology was also offered at NAMS the following year.
The one of a kind National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, Professor Devkota’s long cherished dream and a national need, was finally established on April 13th, 2006. Sir Graham Teasdale, who was one of Devkota’s most significant mentors, as well as President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow officially, inaugurated our institution.
