KATHMANDU: The National Innovation Center has successfully repaired 500 medical devices that were previously damaged and left unused in federal hospitals, significantly cutting government costs.
The initiative follows an agreement signed on September 3 between Minister of Health and Population Pradeep Paudel and the center’s founder, Mahabir Pun, to assess and repair malfunctioning equipment in all 17 federal hospitals. So far, repairs have been completed in 10 hospitals.
According to Umesh Kirant, an engineer at the center, a total of 661 pieces of equipment were evaluated, out of which 500 were restored at a cost of Rs 2.32 million.
A market survey indicated that replacing the same equipment would have cost the government Rs 243 million.
“The repairs ranged from basic wiring fixes to complex restorations requiring additional materials,” Kirant said. He noted that some hospitals had equipment left unrepaired for minor issues, all of which have now been fixed.
Mahabir Pun expressed gratitude to Paudel for supporting the initiative, stating that the repairs have saved crores of rupees in public funds. Paudel, in turn, thanked the center for its contribution, emphasizing that the restored equipment will help improve healthcare access.
“We appreciate this important support in strengthening hospital services. The repaired equipment will allow more people to receive treatment than before,” Paudel said, adding that collaboration with the center will continue in efforts to enhance hospital services using local expertise.
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