SMF- An Overview

In lasting memory of their son Siddhi Sundar Dhaubhadel, who died in a road accident at the age of four and a half on the 8th of October 1993, Mr. Shyam S. Dhaubhadel and Mrs. Ranjana Dhaubhadel founded the Siddhi Memorial Health Service Center (SMHSC) on the 28th of October 1993 in Barahisthan, Bhaktapur Municipality-14. This non-governmental and non-profit clinic provided primary health care services to women and children in need under the guiding principle of “Service to Humanity”. Today there is still an ongoing Saturday morning clinic held at the original location of the foundation (SMHSC) which offers free consultations, immunization and family planning services.

The success of this clinic and its growing demands inspired Mr. and Mrs. Dhaubhadel to expand the range of health services offered, by establishing the Siddhi Memorial Hospital (SMH) for women and children. They made an initial commitment towards sponsorship by donating land property in Bhaktapur City at Bhimsensthan, Bhaktapur -7. The first component of the hospital, the out-patient department, opened in 1997, providing consultations and primary care for underprivileged women and children. The hospital has now grown to include a pediatric ward, neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, a maternity ward, a laboratory facility, x-ray and ultrasound imaging technology, family planning and dental services, and a gynaecological/obstetrics operation theater. Today it continues to provide accessible and affordable, quality healthcare to community members. The medical physicians see more than 30,000 consultations per year in the out-patient department and over 10,000 cases per year in the emergency room.

Furthering the goal of caring for human life from childhood to old age, the founders decided to merge the SMHSC into the Siddhi Memorial Foundation (SMF) in 2003 with the objective of promoting five core values: health, old age, education, sports and arts, and culture.  In 2005, the founders again expanded the organization by opening Siddhi Shaligram Senior Citizens' Home (SSSCH), a home away from home for senior citizens. The mission of SSSCH is to help elderly people, who do not have family members to take care of them, to live peaceful, fulfilling and happy lives. SSSCH aims to offer support and services to all elderly persons, irrespective of status, wealth, caste, religion, relationship, gender or ethnicity. SSSCH offers residential care to 40 elders and day care facilities to 130 elders per day.

The foundation also promotes education for children of the community by sponsoring children’s schooling. It also organizes every Saturday morning classes on education in human values and community principles for 50 children to supplement their formal school curriculum. The aim is to provide a supportive and amusing environment for these children thereby helping them develop their good character and social behavior. In addition, every year the foundation finances schooling for underprivileged children as well as training and higher education for medical and nursing students.