Govt to run Bir Hospital as Covid-19 unified hospital

KATHMANDU: The government will run Bir Hospital, the oldest government hospital, as a Covid-19 unified central hospital.

The government’s decision is in line with the Covid-19 crisis management ordinance-2021 issued on Thursday by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

At least an 11th-grade government officer or senior doctor will be employed as chief administrative officer at the central hospital. The central hospital will run a Covid-19 screening clinic, a fever clinic, and a counseling center.

Likewise, it offers arrangement of oxygen isolation, hard dependency and intensive care units, telemedicine call center and services of home isolation follow-ups, ambulance and emergency services. It will coordinate with the admission of Covid-19 infected people to the health facilities having empty beds.

It can also recommend the operation of any health institution as a Covid-19 health facility.

A 10-member steering committee under the chairpersonship of the Prime Minister will be formed to make the prevention and control of the infection and treatment of the infected people effective.