KATHMANDU: Patan Hospital and Bir Hospital are prepared to operate as COVID-19 dedicated facilities in view of high number of hospitalizations amid the second wave of coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Director of Patan Hospital said the hospital is prepared to use all of its bed for COVID-infected people if patients face bed crunch in health facilities. The hospital accommodates a total of 650 beds, of which it has allocated 260 for COVID-19 infected. However, the facility faced the challenge of oxygen availability.

Shakya urged all other health facilities to prepare for large influx of COVID patients and stressed participation of more hospitals would ease distribution of beds and services to patients.

Joining the fight against the pandemic, Bir Hospital is also preparing to operate as COVID dedicated facility after its current arrangement for treatment of COVID patients is being felt insufficient.

Bir Hospitals Director Dr Shanta Sapkota informed that the new surgical building of the hospital was being turned into COVID facility. She added the hospital will shut all other services if COVID patients start to overwhelm the hospital.

Bir Hospital has 400 beds but due to damage from earthquake it can only allocate 200 beds in the old building and can set up 200 beds in the new surgical building. At present, there are 70 beds allocated for COVID patients, of which 57 are occupied.