Our History
In the late 1950’s, when Nepal opened its doors to the outside world, Dr. Stanley and Raylene Sturges and their children were the first Seventh-day Adventist medical missionaries to Nepal. They asked King Mahendra where they could be used the most and they were sent to the village of Banepa, east of the nation’s capitol, Kathmandu.
The Sturgeses began with just a small one-room clinic, caring for the immediate and urgent medical needs of the community. By 1960, they expanded into a 20-bed hospital. At that time, Scheer Memorial Hospital was the only hospital serving the half million people in the region. Mr. Clifford C. Scheer, as a memorial to his parents, Charles J. and Carolyn Scheer, donated most of the money needed to build the hospital. Funding for equipment, room furnishings, and medical supply necessities came from CARE and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Where we are today
Since those modest early years, and with the continued volunteer and financial assistance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Scheer Memorial Hospital has evolved into a three-story, 150 bed facility that provides a full range of outpatient and inpatient services. We specialize in orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, and Pediatrics. Also provided are: medical, general surgery, dental, ophthalmology, urology, ICU, 24-hour emergency room, and ambulance, as well as physiotherapy services. Diagnostics available include x-ray, ultrasound, lab, ECG, and endoscopy. Weekly out-reach clinics add to the scope of rural community health care that Scheer provides.
Professional medical teams from America, Netherlands, Australia and Japan run annual, free health camps at Scheer providing surgical repairs for burn victims, uterine prolapse and cleft lip/palate patients.
About SMAH
For 60-years, Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital (SMAH) has provided uninterrupted medical care to Kavrepalanchwok District and beyond. As one of the first hospitals East of Kathmandu, Nepal, the institution has built a legacy for innovation and a passion for providing compassionate, patient centered care. SMAH performed the first laparoscopic surgery in Nepal. We also established the first palliative care service in the country. For decades, we have provided free or significantly discounted services to poor and disadvantaged patients regardless of their ability to pay.
SMAH Organizational Profile:
Location: Banepa, Kavrepalanchowk, Nepal
Established: 1960
Primary Catchment: Banepa Municipality and Kavrepalanchowk District
Secondary Catchment: Bhaktapur, Sindhupalchowk, Sindhuli, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga.
Licensed Bed Count: 150
Full- & Part-time Employees: 300
Services offered: Anesthesia, Cardiology (Echo, ECG, and Carotid Doppler), Dental, Dermatology (STI & Leprosy), Emergency, Endocrinology, ENT, General Surgery (Laparoscopic Surgery), Internal Medicine, Lab, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery, Outreach Clinics, Pediatrics, Physiotherapy, Ultrasound, Urology, and X-ray
Dedicated Services
Our Departments
