The Jayanti Memorial Trust has completed 25 years of working to expand access to cardiac care in Nepal, supporting patients who face financial and geographical barriers to treatment.

Established in August 2001 in memory of the late Princess Jayanti Shah, the trust has spent more than two decades helping patients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and underserved areas obtain treatment for heart conditions.

According to trust chairperson Srijana Rana, the organisation has provided financial assistance for more than 10,000 heart surgeries in collaboration with Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre and Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre. It has also supplied 612 vials of streptokinase, a drug used in the emergency treatment of heart attack patients, to various hospitals.

At an event in Kathmandu on Saturday to mark its 25th anniversary, the trust presented an overview of its work since its establishment, including healthcare services, rural health camps, public awareness campaigns and initiatives to strengthen hospital capacity.

Rana said the trust had been working with various hospitals and healthcare institutions to ensure that no one is denied medical treatment because of their financial circumstances.

The trust has also provided medical supplies and equipment required for cardiac treatment, including heart valves, medicines, blood pressure monitors, Holter monitors, bedside monitors, electrodes and wheelchairs. It also supported the appointment of a cardiologist for four years and a cardiac surgeon for one year at Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara, the trust said.

To extend cardiac screening and treatment services beyond Kathmandu, particularly to remote areas with limited healthcare access, the trust began organising health camps in 2007. It has since conducted cardiac health camps in 53 districts.

Between 2007 and 2014, the trust organised an average of four camps annually. The number increased to an average of eight a year between 2015 and 2026.

The camps have been held in districts including Mugu, Achham, Dadeldhura, Jajarkot, Salyan, Gorkha, Mustang, Siraha and Manang. They provide free health check-ups and medical consultations, while patients requiring specialised care are referred to specialist hospitals.

As part of its efforts to raise awareness of heart disease from an early age, the trust has provided heart health education and orientation programmes to more than 6,000 students in up to 40 government schools.

It has also been running the 'Go Red for Women' campaign since 2014 to raise awareness of heart disease among women. Public awareness activities are organised through World Heart Day and various community programmes.

Since 2025, the trust has been providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS) training to healthcare workers and community members to improve emergency responses to cardiac incidents. According to its anniversary report, nine training sessions have been conducted so far.

Beyond cardiac care, the trust has contributed to emergency relief and public health initiatives. Following the 2015 earthquake, it conducted relief and mental health support programmes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it supported isolation centres, supplied medical equipment and helped establish an industrial oxygen plant at Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj.

The trust also provided free psychosocial counselling and conducted suicide prevention programmes during the pandemic.

It has additionally contributed to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund to support people affected by recent floods.

An important financial source for the trust's health and social service programmes is the net profit generated by Fishtail Lodge in Pokhara. The lodge's net earnings are dedicated to funding the trust's activities, providing a continuing source of support for financial assistance to patients and health camps in remote areas, the trust said.

Looking ahead to the next 25 years, the trust plans to place greater emphasis on preventing heart disease alongside treatment.

Its priorities include expanding community-level health screenings, increasing heart health education in schools, giving greater attention to women's cardiac health and extending basic life support training to every district.

The trust also aims to expand cardiac screening and diagnostic services beyond major cities and ensure that people are not denied necessary treatment because of their financial circumstances or where they live.

Established by the late Princess Helen Shah in memory of the late Princess Jayanti Shah, the trust has been implementing its programmes in collaboration with hospitals, medical professionals, international health organisations, donor agencies and volunteers.