Medical equipment received in grant during COVID-19 become useless

KATHMANDU: Health related equipment received in grant from different donor agencies during COVID-19 pandemic have become useless.

Director of Management Division of the Department of Health Services, Dr Sarbesh Sharma, said the medical equipment were useless as there are no coronavirus patients in the country at present.

“There is no infection of coronavirus in the country. Different donor agencies had provided health related equipment for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus during COVID-19 pandemic,” he mentioned.

Sharma shared that some of donor agencies had provided health equipment without demand during COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief of Supply Branch of the Division, Dr Surendra Chaurasiya, informed that 218 health appliances have become useless.

Of them, 91 ventilators, 46 portable ventilators, 13 ICU, and 11 anesthesia work station have become useless.

Different donor agencies had provided 1,445 health equipment during coronavirus pandemic.

Director Sharma added there was high demand of such equipment during coronavirus and currently the equipment are not installed due to lack of physical infrastructures.

Preparation was underway to bring such equipment into use by shifting them to other places, he said.