KATHMANDU: The Embassy of Israel in Nepal facilitated a professional visit by Avraham Rivkind, a trauma and emergency medicine specialist. The visit focused on strengthening professional cooperation and knowledge exchange in trauma care, emergency medicine, and disaster response between Israel and Nepal.

During the three-day program, Rivkind met with healthcare professionals at major medical institutions, where he shared Israel’s experience in trauma systems, mass-casualty management, and emergency preparedness. The meetings were accompanied by Janan Bebar, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Israel in Nepal.

Rivkind delivered lectures and held professional discussions at Bir Hospital and the National Trauma Center, engaging with senior physicians and hospital administrators. He also lectured at Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, addressing medical professionals and students on trauma systems and emergency response planning. In addition, a virtual session was conducted to connect medical professionals from across Nepal. Rivkind also visited Patan Hospital.

As part of his official engagements, Rivkind visited the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, where discussions were held with senior officials on strengthening disaster preparedness and response mechanisms. He also met with consular representatives from several embassies in Nepal to exchange best practices on managing consular affairs during emergencies.

Rivkind met with Sunita Dangol, acting mayor of Kathmandu, and Anjan Shakya, member of Nepal’s National Assembly and former ambassador to Israel, among other officials. Discussions focused on potential future cooperation in medical and emergency response fields.

During the visit, Rivkind proposed strengthening Nepal’s pre-hospital emergency response capacity through the introduction of bike ambulances operated by trained volunteer first responders. The proposed model includes responders equipped with pagers to provide immediate on-site care prior to ambulance arrival.

Ambassador Shmulik Arie Bass stated that the initiative was launched by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of broader efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation between Israel and Nepal in trauma care and related areas.

Rivkind has previously worked in Nepal during the Annapurna Avalanche, assisting in evacuation efforts and providing medical treatment alongside Nepali doctors. Following the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, Israel deployed a fully operational field hospital with 260 military medical personnel, which treated approximately 2,000 patients and conducted more than 70 surgical procedures.