Kathmandu, October 27:

The long-stalled construction of the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Emergency and Trauma Centre at Bir Hospital got underway today with Indian envoy to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee performing Bhumi Pooja on hospital premises. Former Indian PM Inder Kumar Gujral had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the centre in June 1997.

The government of India has pledged Rs 108 crore for the construction of an eight-storey 200-bed state-of-the-art emergency and trauma centre. “The centre will be the second of its kind in SAARC countries and the first outside India and I believe it will be a shining symbol of India-Nepal Economic Cooperation project,” Mukherjee said. Dr Bijayalal Gurubacharya, chairperson of the Bir Hospital Management Committee, said the project would relieve the hospital from a burden of trauma cases.

“We will be provided with all infrastructural facilities and equipment needed for the centre, which we believe is the immense contribution to the health sector by the government of

India,” said Dr Damodar Prasad Pokharel, medical superintendent of the hospital.