Kathmandu, April 2

The Ministry of Health has given approval to 11 hospitals, including Birendra Military Hospital, to run free dialysis service.

The MoH said renal patients could now avail of dialysis service from nearby centres.

According to Under Secretary at Curative Division at the MoH, Ram Krishna Lamichhane, the ministry has given priority to hospitals outside Kathmandu to run dialysis service.

Apart from Birendra Military Hospital, Grande International Hospital, Alka Hospital, Sumeru  Hospital, Himal Hospital and Vayodha Hospital in Kathmandu Valley have been given permission to run dialysis service.

Likewise, Gautam Buddha Community Hospital; Rupendehi, Siddhartha City Hospital; Creation Hospital, Charak; Memorial Hospital of Pokhara; and Nepal Health Development Research Organisation of Biratnagar have also been allowed to run dialysis service.

The MoH said it had picked private centres as it was not possible to provide dialysis service to all renal patients through government hospitals. The MoH will reimburse the cost of the dialysis to the selected hospitals.

Earlier, Minister for Health Gagan Kumar Thapa had announced free dialysis service to all needy kidney patients.

The ministry said 32 hospitals, including Human Organ Transplant Centre and National Kidney Centre, have been providing free dialysis service currently.