Kathmandu, September 17

Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital is all set to start intensive care services in the hospital soon.

Due to lack of intensive care services in the hospital, critically ailing people and their relatives were compelled to visit private health care facilities, where they paid exorbitant charges. Hundreds of patients visit the hospital every day as it is the only national referral centre for infectious and tropical diseases.

“We will start our own ICU service soon,” informed Dr Ramesh Kharel, director at the hospital. He conceded that doctors at the hospital referred critically ill patients to other government hospitals and private centres every day.

According to Director Kharel, the hospital will run a four-bed ICU in the beginning. “For that we have purchased all necessary equipment and trained doctors,” he added. The hospital plans to send some nurses of the hospital to other government hospitals for ICU training.

Dr Kharel informed that the hospital has been consulting Bir hospital, Patan Hospital and Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre to send nurses for ICU care training.

He claimed that ICU services would be much cheaper in the hospital compared to other government and private hospitals and nursing homes.

Meanwhile, the hospital said that it will bring the isolation ward into operation, which was set up during the influenza epidemic in 2010 with financial support from World Health Organisation. Isolation ward is a separate ward used to isolate patients suffering from highly contagious diseases.