The Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) has welcomed Prof. Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal as its new Vice Chancellor, following a decision by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Prof. Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal has been selected from a shortlist of three candidates recommended by a search committee formed in May 2025.
After the Ministry of Health and Population invited applications for the post of Vice Chancellor of PAHS, ten applicants submitted their candidacies. The VC search committee, led by Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel, shortlisted the following six candidates: Dr. Deepak Thapa Magar, Prof. Dr. Gehanath Baral, Prof. Dr. Paban Kumar Sharma, Prof. Dr. Bishnu Prasad Sharma, Buddhi Prasad Paudyal, and Prof. Dr. Srijana Shrestha.
These candidates were invited for presentations and interviews on August 7, 2025, at the Ministry of Health and Population in Kathmandu. Following the presentations, the committee recommended three names: Prof. Dr. Srijana Shrestha, Prof. Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal, and Prof. Dr. Gehanath Baral.
PAHS, a premier public institution dedicated to training healthcare professionals for Nepal's rural areas, has been operating under an acting Vice Chancellor since April 2025. Prof. Dr. Rajesh Nath Gongal's four-year term as the fifth Vice Chancellor ended in April 2025, after his appointment in April 2021. Prof. Dr. Paban Kumar Sharma served as Acting Vice Chancellor since April 21, 2025, after the completion of Prof. Dr. Rajesh Nath Gongal’s four-year term as the fifth Vice Chancellor.
PAHS, established in 2008 and affiliated with Patan Hospital, is renowned for its commitment to producing community-oriented health professionals to serve Nepal’s underserved rural areas.
About Prof. Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal
Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal is a Professor and Head of the Department in the Department of Medicine at the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), where he contributes to medical education and research. He holds qualifications including MBBS and MD in Internal Medicine, with specialties in Rheumatology, Endocrinology, and Internal Medicine. He is the gold medalist of the 14th Batch of TU-IOM.
Dr. Paudyal is notable for opening Nepal's first public rheumatology clinic in October 2018 and has an extensive research portfolio, including 66 publications focused on autoimmune diseases, non-communicable diseases, and infectious conditions in low-resource settings.
Prof. Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal is expected to build on the legacy of predecessors like founding Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Arjun Karki (2008–2012) and Prof. Dr. Bharat Kumar Yadav (2017–2021). Stakeholders anticipate that Prof. Dr. Buddhi Prasad Paudyal's leadership will bring stability and renewed momentum to the academy’s academic and healthcare initiatives.
