Ambassador Peter W. Bodde and Minister for Health and Population Khaga Raj Adhikari jointly inaugurated the seismically safe new Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Blood Bank today.  The United States provided the Government of Nepal $600,000 for the construction of the TUTH Blood Bank, and another $380,000 to purchase equipment for the facility.  Funding for the project seeks to increase the availability of blood supplies in the event of a disaster.  The construction of the building started on January 15th 2013, last year’s Earthquake Safety Day.

 “The TUTH Blood Bank provides a seismically safe facility that will allow the people of Kathmandu to donate blood and save the lives of others in need. It will be used every day, not just when in the case of a disaster,” Ambassador Bodde said, adding: “The United States is committed to helping Nepal improve its emergency response capacity.   We look forward to future opportunities where we can work together, as we see here today, that result in a more resilient Nepal.”