Key Takeaways:

• Rs200,000 free treatment per patient for disadvantaged, violence-affected and unattended burn victims
• Rs10 million Burn Treatment Fund established in partnership with Kirtipur Hospital
• Fund covers permanent residents, legal migrants, municipal staff and families; limited to treatment services only
• Metro also handed over Rs10m worth of medical equipment and pledged awareness and training programmes on burn prevention

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 13 Kathmandu Metropolitan City will provide free burn treatment of up to Rs200,000 per patient, targeting economically disadvantaged, violence-affected and unattended patients. The treatment will be provided through a Rs10 million Burn Treatment Fund established by the metropolitan city in partnership with Kirtipur Hospital (Jan Swasthya Sarokar Trust). An agreement between the two sides was signed today. The fund will also cover permanent residents of Kathmandu, legal migrants, elected representatives, municipal employees and their families. The municipal health education committee will recommend treatment for targeted vulnerable groups. Officials said the fund can be used only for treatment, not for cabin, EHS or cosmetic services. The hospital will use the fund strictly for services available under the agreement. Kathmandu Metropolitan City has provided the hospital Rs20 million for the programme, including Rs10 million for the burn fund and another Rs10 million for medical equipment purchased last year. The equipment includes an anaesthesia machine, a 250 kVA generator and a 500 mA digital X-ray machine, handed over today by Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dangol said the fund was intended to ensure that people did not delay taking burn victims to hospital because of lack of money. She added that the city would also conduct awareness and capacity-building programmes on burn prevention and safety for firefighters, municipal police, health workers, elected representatives, employees and residents.