KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population has directed all the hospitals to shut down outpatient departments (OPD) services.

Dispatching a circular to all the hospitals on Tuesday, the Ministry directed them to close OPD eservices and elective services for the management of treatment for the COVID-19 patients after the infection cases increased in an alarming rate in the country.

Despite closure of OPD services, the emergency ward services will continue, said Dr Smir Kumar Adhikari, the joint spokesperson for the Ministry.

The Ministry has also urged doctors and other health workers not to take a long leave and those on leave to resume duty as soon as possible.

The services have to be delivered with the presence of 50 percent of staffers, according to the Ministry.

The ministry has also planned to immediately fulfill the vacant posts if any or deliver services even by taking manpower on a six-month contract.

Similarly, all the hospitals have been directed to make arrangement of oxygen and other equipment required for intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency wards.

A total of 4,524 people tested positive for coronavirus and 18 died in the last 24 in the country.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 4,364 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 through the RT-PCR method while 160 have been tested positive through the Antigen method.

The Ministry said 1,602 persons in Kathmandu, 240 in Lalitpur, and 124 in Bhaktapur tested positive for the pandemic virus, as of Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, 278506 persons have returned home after complete health recovery from COVID-19.

Similarly, the ministry shared that 18 more fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 3,194.