Dr. Bhattarai is the first female MD Geriatrician in Nepal. She is a clinician with experience in caring for patients with multiple health conditions in the Department of Internal Medicine at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS). Dr. Bhattarai played a key role in establishing Nepal’s first comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) based frailty clinic. She is particularly interested in frailty, complex health conditions, and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in older adults. Dr. Bhattarai is also a certified clinical trainer who has contributed to national geriatric training programs and has trained healthcare professionals (nurses, medical officers, and health assistants) across Nepal in managing frailty, geriatric syndromes, and chronic diseases. She has been involved in international research projects as a medical coordinator for KHDC Nepal, a non-governmental organization focusing on NCD care in the community. Dr. Bhattarai has contributed to the NCD Poverty Network: PEN Plus protocol by writing and editing clinical guidelines for diabetes mellitus. Additionally, she is an expert panel member for the World Health Organization (WHO), assisting in drafting the healthy aging agenda for low-resource settings. Dr. Bhattarai also contributed to the development of an international consensus definition for “Fall resulting in psychological harm” for research and clinical care settings. She has published international peer-reviewed articles related to managing complex diseases among older adults.
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
- Urza Bhattarai, Arun Gautam, Manisha Shrestha, Anusha Rayamajhi, Rohan Basnet, Manicka Saravanan, Aparajit Ballav Dey, Prasun Chatterjee, “Factors associated with subjective aging among geriatric out-patients in northern India” Journal of Frailty, Sarcopenia and Falls (2023)
- Urza Bhattarai, Bijaya Bashyal, Anu Shrestha, Binu Koirala, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, “Frailty and chronic diseases: A bidirectional relationship” Aging Medicine (2024)
- Sanjib Sharma, Ujwal Gautam, Urza Bhattarai, Arun Gautam, “Early detection and management of heart failure and its associated risk factors: prospect for task shifting among healthcare workers” European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (2024)