Schooling, Residency, and Training:

Singh completed his schooling in his hometown of Sarlahi, Nepal, where he earned his SLC (School Leaving Certificate) in 1976. Then he moved to Kathmandu for further education. He earned his Certificate in Medicine (Health Lab) in 1979 from Maharajgunj Medical Campus (MMC) Kathmandu, where he scored the highest marks in the whole batch. With this achievement, he was later awarded the King Birendra Scholarship during his entire Bachelor Course in Medicine (MBBS). During his medical schooling, he was instrumental in establishing the first Nepal Medical Students Society (NMSS). He was exposed for the first time to leadership and social work. He graduated with the degree of MBBS from the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University (IOM, TU) Kathmandu in 1988.

He started his residency at a government institution of Nepal Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Kathmandu in Causality and Surgery from 1991 till early 1994. His interest in a career in Cancer Surgery took him to Kansai Medical University (KMU) in Osaka, Japan through Monbusho Scholarship in 1994. He completed his surgical residency (General Surgery) in March 1995. He became a member of the Society of Surgeons of Nepal. He was awarded International Award for Medical Research, at Kansai Medical University in 1996.  He later completed Advanced Clinical Course in Surgical – Oncology, and Laparoscopy from KMU in March 1997. He earned his PhD in Experimental Therapeutics (Breast tumor angiogenesis) from KMU in June 1998.

Academic Career:

Singh started his academic career as an Assistant Lecturer of Surgery at IOM, TU in 1991. He received Teachers Training on Helping Students Learn organized by the Institute of Medicine/WHO in 1992.  After completing his postgraduate study in Japan, he was promoted to Lecturer of Surgical Oncology in 1999. He was awarded Fellow of the International College of Surgeons in General Surgery/Oncology in March 2001. He received a Short Course Training on Pain and Palliative Care from Calicut, Kerala, India in October 2003. Singh was promoted to Associate Professor and Professor of Surgical Oncology in 2004 and 2008, respectively. He has been serving as Unit Chief of Surgical Oncology (Breast and Gastrointestinal) in the Department of Surgery, TUTH since 2009. He later received JICA training on Early Detection of Digestive Cancers from Keio University Hospital Tokyo in 2012.

Singh has been serving as Head of the Department of Surgery, TUTH/MMC since February 2016. He has been credited with developing five surgical sub-specialty departments during his tenure.

He has been serving as a Research Director and Member Secretary of the Institution Review Committee in the Institute of Medicine from June 2016 to August 2021.

Singh has been contributing as a board member of the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) since 2017. He has been serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Institute of Medicine Nepal (JIOM Nepal) since April 2019.

Contribution to Medicine:

Health Care:

During his early residency in surgery, Singh contributed in establishing a general surgical service in AMDA Hospital, Damak, Jhapa in 1992. He initiated cancer services including chemotherapy and palliative care in TUTH since 1993.

Singh contributed to establishing a surgical service at Stupa Community Hospital, Boudha, Kathmandu in 2002. He also established oncology services including cancer surgery and chemotherapy at Medicare Hospital, Chabahil, Kathmandu since 2004. He introduced early detection of breast cancer among Nepali women by clinical examination of the breast in 2008. He has been serving as a Project Coordinator to establish a state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer center called Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center within the TUTH complex since 2010. Singh was awarded TUTH’s Cancer Care Advocate Award for his outstanding contribution in planning, advocacy, and leadership towards the establishment of Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center and Cancer Service Delivery during its Inauguration Ceremony on September 7, 2022.

Singh contributed remarkably to seeking reforms in medical education and the health service movement in Nepal led by Dr. Govinda KC. Singh proposed an evidence-based cancer control strategy including an early detection and screening program in Nepal in 2018.

Singh has been contributing to establishing a modern comprehensive cancer center in the capital city of the most populous province of Nepal, called Binaytara Foundation Cancer Center (BTFCC), Janakpur since its inception in 2017. He has been well known for establishing cancer surgery in the center. He has been serving as President of Binaytara Foundation Cancer Trust since 2020. He has been instrumental in establishing a comprehensive Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Center in Gokarneshor Municipality, Kathmandu since early 2021.

Professional Cancer Education:  

Singh contributed to establishing the first academic society of medical doctors interested in oncology as a founding Secretary of Nepal Oncology Society in 1999. He also served as a founding Vice-President of the SAARC Federation of Oncologists Nepal in 2001. The first international cancer conference (2nd SFO Conference, Kathmandu) was held with him as scientific chair in 2003.

Singh was instrumental in the establishment of the Nepal Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (NNCTR) with aims of cancer awareness, prevention, treatment, and research in August 2000. Through this organization, various training programs on cancer awareness and palliative care were organized for health professionals in Nepal. He initiated a one-week cancer education for nurses at TUTH. Based on this course, he edited ‘The Handbook of Oncology Nursing’ in 2007.

Singh has been sponsoring a “Young Scientist Award” to a young best paper winner every year during the International Cancer Congress of the BTFCC in Nepal since 2020. He has contributed to establishing a library at BTFCC, Janakpur in 2020.

Cancer Education to the Public:

Singh contributed to cancer education to the public when he decided to pursue his career in cancer science in 1993. To start with, three articles entitled “Cancer- What, Why, How?” in Nepali for public education, were published in the daily newspaper Nepal Times. After coming back from Japan in 1998, he continued to work on a cancer awareness program through the Nepal Cancer Relief Society (NCRS). His cancer awareness articles mainly on breast and digestive organ cancers were published for public education in its annual publication. NCRS awarded him with the Best Cancer Service Award in 2011.

Singh founded the Nepal Cancer Education Foundation (NCEF) to uplift the lives of cancer patients through cancer advocacy, education, and research in Nepal. He has been contributing to cancer education to the public as well as health professionals since 2018. NCEF’s publication of a Cancer awareness book in Nepali “Cancer – What, Why, How?” authored by Dr. Singh has decorated him as a Cancer Educationist by the First President of Nepal, Hon. Dr. Rambaran Yadav.

Humanitarian Works:

Singh traveled to serve the victims of the Maharashtra, India Earthquake as a part of the AMDA International Mission in September 1993. In 2005, he served the victims of the Northern Pakistan Earthquake. He played an important role in establishing the AMDA Medical Relief Mission to carry out immediate and long-term relief activities during a devastating earthquake in 2015 in Nepal. As a chairperson of AMDA Nepal, he later managed to carry out post-earthquake activities in Chautara, Sindhupalchok with the collaboration of AMDA International and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital/Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu.

Singh has been serving people through the Lions Club of Kathmandu, Lions Club International since 2009. He was very instrumental to bring the Lions Eye Hospital, Kathmandu as a permanent and sustainable project of Lions Club Kathmandu during his tenure as Club President in 2018. Singh was honored with Outstanding President of the Year by Lions Club International in 2018. He has been serving cancer patients as a volunteer cancer specialist through BTFCC, Janakpur since 2019. Singh was awarded BTF’s Humanitarian of the Year 2020 for his dedication and service to improving cancer care in Nepal.

Singh is a strong cancer care advocator and asking the Nepal Government for free cancer services in Nepal. There should not be cancer health disparity and governmental cancer centers in all 7 states of Nepal.