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Thank you so much for helping Anandaban Hospital to survive its greatest crisis to date. This special place high on a mountainside in Nepal was founded by missionaries almost 70 years ago. This was a time when there was no cure for leprosy, so people with the disease were sent away from the city of Kathmandu to Anandaban.

In September record monsoon rains lashed the Kathmandu valley. On the morning of the 28th, the downpours gave way to a deadly landslide at Anandaban. Trees and buildings cascaded down the mountainside. A member of staff was tragically killed when his home on the hospital site was swept away.

Chaos ensued in the days that followed. Roads turned to rivers or were completely buried in mud with only the army able to reach Anandaban.

Many of the buildings were severely damaged. This included the two main leprosy wards, the training centre and the self-care unit. Water and mud flowed into the self-care unit trapping a 72-year-old leprosy patient. The woman had no fingers on her hands and only one leg following an amputation. Cut off by the mudslide, she remained there for 18 hours until she was finally reached by a rescue team.

Despite her terrifying ordeal, she didn’t appear traumatised. Instead, she calmly told staff:

“I remembered the story of Jesus and His disciples crossing the sea. The disciples were afraid of the storm, even though Jesus was with them. I spent my time praying to God and felt that Jesus was with me - whether I survived or died.”

The hospital’s water supply was cut off when the borewells were damaged. So just a day or two of water remained stored in the tanks. Food supplies were rapidly dwindling. The situation was becoming extremely dire.

Patients were moved to the new main hospital building while the rains continued to lash down. We praised God when temporary repairs restored the water and electricity supply. A day or two later, food supplies were able to reach the hospital. Patient care could continue in the midst of the storm.

Our prayers were also answered through your fast and generous response to the crisis. Because of you, patients could be kept safe.

Geological surveys have since concluded that much of the site remains unsafe. The hospital campus continues to be at risk of landslide. Now all patients are housed in the new main hospital building. This is the state-of-the-art building which you generously supported in 2019. It was built to withstand earthquakes. It also proved resilient to the flooding and landslide. It is crowded, but at least it is safe.

Incredibly, the number of patients at Anandaban increased in 2024! Thanks to your provision, the team was able to treat 2,570 more patients than in 2023. This in spite of the landslide.

Thank you for bringing love and care to every patient and the staff at a time when they needed it the very most.