Kathmandu, October 8

Emergency ward of Sahid Gangalal National Heart Centre in Kathmandu remains crowded, with more than 106 patients visiting the ward almost every day.

Dambar Kumari Adhikari and Umeda Khatun, are among the patients, who like other patients in the crowded ward have been sharing a bed due to space crunch.

Adhikari is suffering from high blood pressure and Khatun has heart ailment. “I travelled all the way from Janakpur and immediately got admitted to the emergency ward but the doctors informed that the ward was all occupied. So I have been sharing a bed with another patient,” said Khatun.

An overwhelming number of patients visit the hospital every day, said Shilpa Shrestha, a staff nurse working at the emergency ward. “Every year, during the months of June and July, the ward is so crowded that patients have to share beds,” she said.

According to Bimal Upreti, Chief of the Economic Administration section of the hospital, there are a total of 18 beds at the ward. Of them, only 10 have been set aside for treatment purpose.

There are chances of patients of communication diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV positive, etc transferring their diseases to another patient while sharing beds, said Shrestha.

During each shift, four nurses and one doctor provide services at the emergency ward of the hospital.