Bishal Belbase is an MPA candidate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and believes that everyone, even those in the poorest communities, should have dependable access to high-quality healthcare.
He founded Karma Health, a healthcare non-profit based in western Nepal, that works in partnership with municipal governments to prototype a unique healthcare delivery model. By adopting a three-pronged approach: program design and monitoring led by the community, implementation of healthcare delivery by an enterprising nonprofit, and performance-based financing by the public sector, it aims to transform the state of healthcare availability and access. They have posted the first doctor in the region, launched innovative outreach programs, and through a cadre of professional community health workers served pregnant women, children, and those living with chronic and non-communicable disease conditions in their homes. To integrate care in the community and in the facilities, Karma Health is digitizing healthcare records in both health facilities and in the community.
Bishal was born in Nepal and trained as a medical doctor at the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, and has a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. He likes to sip masala tea and loves to watch documentaries.