National 8 (Spotlight Weekly)

Lifetime Of Service

Renowned doctor Pushkar Raj Satyal passes away leaving behind a legacy of service and dedication

By A CORRESPONDENT

At a time when the number of kidney patients continues to increase in Nepal and the country starts kidney transplantation, the death of Dr. Pushkar Raj Satyal, the father nephrologist, has dealt a serious blow.

Having served for more than four decades in the country's pioneer Bir Hospital, heading the nephrology department, Dr. Satyal played important role to introduce the dialysis service in the country making the service available for the first time to the people.

Dr. Satyal started his medical service at a time when there were few doctors in the country let alone specialists. The first nephrologist of Nepal, Dr. Satyal had made great contribution in the medical sector saving lives of hundreds. He also headed Bir Hospital - the largest government hospital in the country.

Medical practitioners still remember those days when Dr. Satyal had to go door-to-door to convince the policymakers regarding the upsurge of kidney diseases in the country. He is known for starting the nephrology unit at Bir Hospital.

At the age of 65, Dr. Satyal passed away at his residence in Chhetrapati on January 4. He died of massive heart attack. Dr. Satyal was active till he breathed his last. He was also the founder president of Nepal Society of Nephrology and was also the president of Nephrology, Urology and Transplantation Society of SAARC countries.

Dr. Satyal earned his MBBS degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad and specialization in nephrology from the United Kingdom. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

In his death, Nepal has not only lost a doctor but also a specialist whose service was in greater need since the incidents of kidney diseases have dramatically increased over the past couple of years. Many of the patients still continue to go to India for kidney transplant, which costs hundreds of thousands of rupees.

Unfortunately, Dr. Satyal died before he could witness the successful kidney transplant within Nepal. "He had one great wish - to conduct kidney transplant in the country. But he passed away before he could see the successful transplant. But, based on the foundation he built, the nephrology as a discipline is expanding and strengthening in the country. The true tribute to him would be to establish and expand the transplant service," Dr. Rishi Kumar Kafle, a renowned nephrologist and director of National Kidney Center, wrote in an article (published in Kantipur daily) after Dr. Satyal's death.