Kathmandu, March 25

Lack of necessary equipment for heart surgery and emergency treatment service at Bir Hospital has hit heart patients hard.

Although the hospital was the first to start heart surgery in the country, it failed to continue the service.

“Due to the lack of required equipment for surgery, heart patients are compelled to visit private hospitals for surgery,” shared Dr Prakash Regmi, cardiologist at the hospital.

The number of heart patients visiting the hospital is on the rise and they have to wait for more than a week just for a video x-ray of the heart. “The flow of patients has doubled within a year,” he informed.

As per the data with the hospital, around 90 heart patients visit the hospital for treatment every day while it used to be just 40 a year ago. “There are only four cardiologists at the hospital. So many patients are referred to other hospitals for treatment,” he said.

Dr Regmi said that hospital not only lacked advanced technology, but also lacked separate beds for emergency patients, ICU, and human resources.

Bir Hospital has recently bought more than 60 new medical equipment to provide better service to patients but the hospital administration seems apathetic towards the condition of cardiology department.

“Recently we bought X-Ray machine for the cardiology department to replace the old one and we are in the process of installing it,” said Regmi.

“We are trying to buy Cath Lab for the cardiology department,” said Dr Bhupendra Basnet, director general at the hospital, adding that Cath lab was quite expensive and the hospital lacked budget to buy such expensive equipment. “As soon as we get budget, we will buy new and advanced equipment for the cardiology department,” he said.