Khunde Hospital 60th Anniversary
Khunde Hospital turns sixty. Two days in the Khumbu of reflection, ceremony and celebration, hosted with Himalayan Trust Nepal, the American Himalayan Foundation and the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation Canada.
Sir Edmund Hillary built Khunde Hospital in 1966. In the six decades since, it has saved the lives of thousands of people in Solukhumbu. Goitre, cretinism, smallpox and tuberculosis have been eradicated from the Khumbu, and maternal and infant mortality has fallen almost to zero. None of that would have happened without the doctors and nurses who served there, from New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Australia and Nepal, and the donors who stood behind them.
To mark the sixtieth anniversary, Himalayan Trust Nepal, the Himalayan Trust New Zealand, the American Himalayan Foundation and the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation Canada are hosting two days at Khunde and Khumjung. It is a chance to review what has been built, celebrate it properly, and plan for the future of Khunde Hospital.
Day one, Saturday 21 November 2026
- 10:00am to 11:00am: Visit Khumjung School and the Sir Edmund Hillary Visitor Centre
- 11:00am to 12:30pm: Welcome reception at Khumjung School
- 12:30pm to 2:00pm: Khumjung Gompa visit and lunch at the Gompa, hosted by the community
- 2:00pm to 4:00pm: Free time
- 4:00pm to 6:00pm: Khunde Reflection Workshop at Mandala Lodge, with past doctors, donors, local government and Himalayan Trust Nepal sharing their Khunde experience and looking at the way forward
- 6:00pm to 7:30pm: Dinner
Day two, Sunday 22 November 2026
- 5:30am to 7:30am: Visit Hillary View Point and Khunde Ri, with prayers at the Hillary memorial
- 7:30am to 8:30am: Breakfast at your own accommodation
- 8:30am to 10:00am: Khunde Hospital and Zeke O'Connor Garden visit, with prayers at the Zeke O'Connor memorial
- 10:00am to 11:30am: Brunch at Khunde Hospital
- 11:30am to 2:30pm: Formal stage programme for the 60th anniversary, with welcoming of guests, appreciations to donors, past doctors and land donors, cultural performances and short remarks
- 2:30pm to 5:00pm: Free time
- 5:00pm to 8:00pm: Chhyangdung and dinner at Khunde Mani Lhakhang
All times are Nepal time. This is the revised programme from Himalayan Trust Nepal and details may change closer to the date.