UDAYAPUR, MAY 16

Triyuga Municipality has taken initiatives to start ICU service and operate two ventilators in Udayapur District Hospital.

Though the ICU ward was established ten months ago, it could not start operating due to lack of manpower. Now with the sharp spike in coronavirus cases, the municipality has swung into action to start the service.

Of late, critical COVID patients in need of ventilator support and ICU have been increasing in the district. Many patients are being referred to health facilities in other districts for treatment due to lack of ICU service and ventilators.

District dwellers are facing a hard time due to the authority's apathy towards people's needs. The district hospital had the equipment for long, but the authorities paid no attention to operate the service in time.

The municipality has also urged the district hospital to manage manpower to operate machines. According to the municipality, facilities for the experts will be managed by the municipality. Acting Medical superintendent of Udayapur District Hospital Dr Jib Narayan Mandal said Mayor Bal Dev Chaudhary had directed the hospital to start ICU service as soon as possible.

He added that the municipality would bear all the expenses for ICU and ventilator service. 'We have been searching for experts to operate ventilators, but have not been able to find them yet,' he added.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 17, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.