B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) was established on Jan 18, 1993, and upgraded as an autonomous Health Sciences University on Oct 28, 1998, with a mandate to develop socially responsible and competent health workforce, provide health care, and engage in innovative health research.

Located in eastern Nepal, the Institute extends its services through the teaching district concept to Primary Health Care Centers, District Hospitals, and Zonal Hospitals in multiple districts. It honours Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala—Nepal's visionary leader in social upliftment and national integration.

The Institute stands as a model of Nepal-India cooperation following the bilateral agreement signed by the Health Ministers of both nations on the auspicious day of Mahashivaratri (Mar 10, 1994).

BPKIHS envisions a self-governing, self-reliant international Health Sciences University that attracts learners and educators worldwide through continuously evolving programmes. The Nepali Parliament has declared the Institute a national centre for developing skilled health professionals and advancing tropical and infectious disease research—evidenced by initiatives like the Kala-azar Project with international collaborators.

Academic offerings span postgraduate, undergraduate, and university certificate programmes with a dedicated Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) track. Four constituent colleges—Medical, Dental, Nursing, and Public Health—support teaching through a 700-bedded Central Teaching Hospital and established clinical and basic science departments.

Postgraduate programmes (MD, MS, and MSc) launched in 1999. Degrees awarded by BPKIHS—including MD, MS, MDS, MSc, and MPH—are recognised by the Nepal Medical Council and other national councils. Several MD/MS programmes (anesthesiology, clinical pharmacology & therapeutics, dermatovenerology, ENT, internal medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiodiagnosis, and surgery) hold recognition from the Medical Council of India, with additional disciplines in the approval pipeline.

Selection for MD/MS/MDS gives priority to medical graduates who served in primary health centres and district hospitals. The School of Public Health (est. 2005) offers a two-year MPH, and the MSc Nursing programme in Community and Psychiatry Nursing began in 2008.

The MBBS programme, introduced in 1994, is recognised by Medical Councils of Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, and is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WHO). The BDS programme (since 1999) is recognised by the Nepal Medical Council, and graduates may sit for the Dental Council of India screening test for MDS admission. Both MBBS and BDS run for 4½ years followed by a compulsory year-long community-oriented rotating internship delivered through Central Teaching and Teaching District Hospitals.

B.Sc. Nursing and University Certificate Nursing (staff nurse) programmes are nationally and internationally trusted, with all nursing degrees recognised by the Nepal Nursing Council. Separate college complexes across campus house the constituent colleges, while allied health science courses carry recognition from the Nepal Health Professional Council.

Short-term academic and refresher courses for national and international participants complement the core curriculum. Continuing medical education is embedded in the Institute's culture.

BPKIHS aims to be a centre of excellence in patient care, teaching, and health research through an integrated, holistic approach. The Institute upholds social responsibility and ensures inclusive admissions for underrepresented communities across its programmes.

The teaching district model empowers students to learn directly within community health institutions under faculty supervision. In turn, local facilities benefit from sustained support by BPKIHS teams, strengthening rural health services and uplifting marginalised groups—especially women.