BHARATPUR, AUGUST 1

With an increase in Covid-19 cases in the district, the number of infected patients arriving in the Chitwan-based Bharatpur Hospital has risen, in recent days.

As patients with coronavirus infection are treated free of cost at the Federal Hospital in Bharatpur, the pressure is mounting in the health facility with increased incoming patients.

Although the hospital had allocated 110 beds for COVID-19 patients, 104 of those beds are already occupied.

According to Liladhar Poudel, information officer at the hospital, the number of patients admitted to the hospital had reached 112 on Friday.

At present, 104 infected are undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Poudel further added that there were 58 patients with minor and moderate symptoms. Meanwhile, 25 are undergoing treatment in HDU and 21 in the intensive care unit.

The hospital has an intensive care unit with a capacity of 25 beds.

The number of infections has been increasing due to neglect of health protocol, said Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel, Acting Medical Superintendent of the hospital.

'The beds allotted for COVID-19 patients in the hospital are in use. Other infected people cannot be admitted,' he added.

Dr Poudel said that discussions have started on adding more beds after the beds in the hospital were filled with infected people while adding that private hospitals should also treat Covid-19 patients as the infection rate is increasing.

'The epidemic will affect all units, not just the government hospitals. All the hospitals have to fulfil their responsibilities during pandemic.'

As many as 210 Covid-19 infected patients are undergoing treatment at Chitwan Medical College, College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (Old Medical College) and Bharatpur Hospital in the district.

According to the District Health Office, 58 people are undergoing treatment at Chitwan Medical College. Of them, 29 are in the intensive care unit while the same number of 29 patients are undergoing treatment in HDU.

Similarly, 14 people are undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of the old medical college.

According to Gitanjali Dhakal, public health officer at the office, the number of active cases of COVID-19 is 2,236 in the district. Of them, 2,106 are being treated in home isolation, eight in public isolation and 122 in hospitals.