Nepal Emergency Directory: Ambulance 102, Blood Banks & Helplines

The single most important number to remember in a Nepali medical emergency is 102, the nationwide ambulance line. It is toll-free, can be dialled from any mobile or landline anywhere in the country, and connects to the ambulance dispatch system maintained by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP). Unlike countries with one unified 911-style number, Nepal splits emergencies across several short codes, so it helps to know all of them before you need them.

The core emergency numbers are simple three-digit codes. Police is 100, fire is 101, ambulance is 102 and traffic police is 103. A child helpline operates on 104, and tourists in trouble can reach the Tourist Police on 1144, a service staffed by officers with better English who work the main trekking and heritage areas. These lines are free and available 24 hours a day.

One practical caveat, reported by Nepali Times and confirmed by a government task force, is that Nepal's emergency lines are not integrated into a single command centre. In practice the police number (100) is the most reliably answered, and callers often reach police even when they need an ambulance or fire crew. If 102 does not connect quickly, calling 100 or the emergency department of the nearest hospital directly is a sensible backup.

The 102 ambulance number is coordinated by the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) under the MoHP, based at Ramshah Path, Kathmandu (email heocmohp@gmail.com). Alongside the phone line, the ministry runs a web platform and mobile apps (searchable as 'Ambulance Nepal') that let users locate and request the nearest registered ambulance. When you call, be ready to state the exact location, the number of patients, and the nature of the emergency clearly.

It is important to have realistic expectations about Nepal's pre-hospital care. According to a Nepali Times investigation, the country has only a few hundred GPS-equipped ambulances, a small number of trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and very few professional dispatchers. Many vehicles registered as ambulances are effectively basic transport vans without oxygen, monitors or a paramedic on board. In mountainous districts, response can be slow, and much early care still depends on bystanders.

Ambulances in Nepal are run by a mix of providers: government hospitals, local municipalities, the Nepal Red Cross, private hospitals and non-profit fleets such as Nepal Ambulance Service in the Kathmandu Valley. Many municipalities and some hospitals operate free or subsidised ambulances within their local area, while longer inter-city transfers and advanced life-support vehicles usually carry a charge. Confirm the cost and the vehicle's equipment level when you book, especially for a critical patient.

Nepal's blood supply is built almost entirely on the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS). The society was founded on 4 September 1963 (2020 BS) after Nepal acceded to the Geneva Conventions, and was recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross and admitted to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on 1 October 1964. Its headquarters are at Red Cross Marg, Kalimati, Kathmandu, and it maintains district chapters across all 77 districts, backed by more than 1,500 sub-chapters.

NRCS began organised blood transfusion work in 1966. In recognition of that pioneering role, the Government of Nepal in the early 1990s formally designated the society as the lead national agency to conduct blood programmes, cementing a public-private arrangement that continues today. This mandate is why, for most Nepalis, 'blood bank' and 'Red Cross' are effectively synonymous.

The policy framework sits above the service delivery. Nepal's National Blood Transfusion Policy was first developed in 1993 and revised in 2006 and again in 2014 (2071 BS), emphasising a safe and adequate supply built on voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation. Regulatory oversight for blood safety rests with the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and its blood-transfusion bureau on behalf of the government, while the NRCS network handles day-to-day collection, testing and distribution of blood.

At the top of the system is the Central Blood Transfusion Service (CBTS) in Kathmandu, located at Soaltee Mode (Soalteemod). It functions as the national referral centre and runs a 24-hour emergency blood service; it is widely listed on the contact number 01-4288485. The CBTS handles the most complex cases, rare blood groups and component preparation, and supports the wider network with standards and supplies.

Below the centre sit the regional blood transfusion centres, established to decentralise supply across Nepal's geography. The four principal regional centres are in Biratnagar (east), Pokhara (west), Nepalgunj (mid-west) and Chitwan/Bharatpur (central Terai). These serve as hubs for their surrounding districts, reducing reliance on Kathmandu for routine transfusion needs.

Beneath the regional hubs is a wide layer of district blood banks and blood-service units attached to NRCS chapters and hospitals. Published figures vary by source and year: the NRCS has cited around 108 blood-service locations across 73 districts, Wikipedia records roughly 117 transfusion centres, and a 2024 overview in the Global Journal of Transfusion Medicine counts about 121 blood centres across 76 districts. The exact total shifts as new units open, but the practical point is that most district headquarters now have some form of blood service.

Blood in Nepal is not usually handed over on demand to the public; a request must come with a doctor's requisition. The standard route is that the treating hospital or physician writes a blood requisition slip specifying the patient's blood group, the component needed (whole blood, packed red cells, platelets or plasma) and the number of units. A relative or friend then takes this slip, along with the patient's details and identification, to the nearest Red Cross blood bank or the hospital's own transfusion centre.

Nepal largely runs on a replacement-donor model: to keep the shared stock sustainable, blood banks generally ask the patient's family or friends to donate an equivalent number of units when they draw blood, even though the donated unit may not be the exact one transfused. Before release, the requested blood is cross-matched against the patient's sample for compatibility, which typically takes some time, so it is wise to start the process as early as possible for planned surgery.

Blood itself is provided on a non-profit basis, but a processing or service fee is normally charged to cover testing and handling; certain groups may qualify for waivers under government schemes. For a genuine emergency, go to the hospital emergency department first, which can liaise directly with its transfusion service, and use the CBTS 24-hour line or a district Red Cross blood bank for rare groups or large-volume needs.

For people searching 'blood bank Kathmandu' or 'blood bank near me', the Kathmandu Valley has one central Red Cross facility plus district Red Cross blood banks and numerous hospital-based transfusion centres. The list below gathers commonly published contact numbers as a starting point. Phone numbers and hours change, so confirm the current details by phone or via the official NRCS website before relying on any single entry, and in a true emergency go straight to the nearest hospital emergency department.

In practice, the Central Blood Transfusion Service at Soaltee Mode is the reference point for the whole valley and for rare blood groups, while the Bhaktapur and Lalitpur (Pulchowk) Red Cross blood banks serve their districts. Major hospitals including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (Maharajgunj), Bir Hospital, Patan Hospital, Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre (Bansbari) and several private hospitals also operate their own blood banks for their patients.

Nepal's system depends on voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation, which the National Blood Transfusion Policy sets as the goal for a safe supply. Chronic shortages, especially of rare groups and during festivals and disasters, mean that voluntary donors are constantly needed. Donating is quick, and one donation can support multiple patients once blood is separated into components.

General eligibility follows international norms adopted by the NRCS: donors are usually aged 18 to 60, weigh at least around 45 kilograms, are in good health, and give at least three months (about 12 weeks) between whole-blood donations. Donors are screened for haemoglobin level and deferred temporarily for recent illness, certain medications, pregnancy or recent tattoos, and permanently for some transmissible infections. Every donated unit is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria before use.

You can donate at the CBTS, any district Red Cross blood bank, or at the many blood-donation camps that NRCS chapters, colleges and community groups organise throughout the year. Carrying a photo ID, eating a normal meal and staying hydrated beforehand makes the process smoother. Regular voluntary donors are the backbone of the network that keeps ambulances and hospitals able to save lives.