Chitwan, May 11

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has come into operation at Bharatpur Hospital where more than 12,000 babies are born in a year.

Before the establishment of NICU at the hospital, many newborns lost their lives as NICU at other private health clinics and medical colleges were very expensive.

Medical Superintendent at Bharatpur Hospital, Dr Rudra Marasaini, informed that a NICU with 15 beds had come into operation at the health facility.

Newborns below the age of one month are treated for free while babies older than one month are treated at minimal cost at the NICU.

Marasaini said impoverished and needy ones were also provided free medicine. Bharatpur Hospital is the largest health facility where most number of children are born outside Kathmandu Valley.

Dr Sunil Mani Pokharel, of Gynaecology and Parturition Department at the hospital, said more than 12,500 children were born at the hospital in a year. Of them, five per cent newborns require NICU service. Dr Sunil said a private hospital would charge up to Rs 10,000 for NICU service for one day.

According to Dr Marasaini, as many as five doctors have been deployed at the NICU.