Kathmandu, June 19

Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital received 60 per cent more cancer patients this year compared to the previous year.

However, the hospital has not been able to accommodate patients due to lack of sufficient beds.

There are a total of 110 beds in the hospital that provides chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, brachytherapy services, including palliative care and pain management services.“Every day more than 300 patients visit the hospital.

However, we have not been able to admit patients due to lack of adequate beds,” said Dr Prakash Raj Neupane, medical director at BCH.

“Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital is one of a national level cancer hospital. More than 30,000 cancer patients visit the hospital for treatment every year. This year we received around 50,000 patients,” he said.

Dr Neupane said the hospital received 10 new cancer patients every day. “Most of the cancer patients are from Kathmandu Valley. However, cancer patients from India also visit the hospital for treatment.

There is an urgent need to increase the number of beds if we are to accommodate all cancer patients,” he said.

“We are working hard to reduce uterus cancer among women.

Also, the number of breast cancer patients is increasing rapidly in the country,” said General Secretary of Nepal Cancer Relief Society Vimal Kumar Hoda, adding, “The capacity of the hospital has to be upgraded to accommodate increasing number of cancer patients in the country.”