SIRAHA, MAY 30

A temporary COVID-19 hospital with 25 beds has come into operation in Golbazaar, Siraha, from today.

Golbazaar Municipality constructed the hospital at a cost of Rs 35 lakh targeting COVID patients.

Mayor Devnath Shah said the hospital had been brought into operation with the initiative of youths.

'All the young and vibrant people's representatives took the responsibility and pushed me to lead the task of building the hospital,' he added.

Inaugurating the hospital, Shah said the locals would benefit from the health facility.

He has committed that the hospital will be a wellequipped health facility in the days to come. Shah also thanked the land donor, social worker and former chief district officer Lalit Bahadur Thapa. Thapa has donated one bigha land worth Rs four crore for the hospital.

Siraha Chief District Officer Pradip Raj Kandel said the pandemic had not yet been brought under control even though the infection rate was declining. 'The locals will benefit from the new hospital,' he said. He added that people should be made aware of safety health measures such as hand hygiene, use of face masks and social distancing.

Golbazaar Municipality Chief Administrative Officer Shreedhar KC said that it was a noble task to construct the hospital during the pandemic.

He said the hospital would provide better health service to the people. 'The hospital will be established as a trauma centre,' he said.

KC informed that the isolation ward with 65 beds had also been set up at Saraswati Secondary School of the municipality.

The CDO, police chief, chief at Sher Battalion at Choharwa, among others, were present at the programme.

Dr Ram Kumar Shah of the hospital said that only COV- ID patients would receive treatment at the hospital for the time being. He said that the hospital would also serve as a counselling centre.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 31, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.