Sarlahi, February 29

Intensive Care Unit of Nawalpur Snakebite Treatment Centre at Ward No 1 of Lalbandi Municipality has been out of service due to lack of doctors.

The ICU is equipped with a ventilator.

The ICU with ventilator was established almost eight months ago at a cost of Rs 3 million. Province 2 government had provided support for establishment of the ICU. However, the ICU and ventilator have been rendered useless due to lack of doctor, said the Chair of the centre management committee Bodharaj Kafle.

“Our repeated plea to the Ministry of Health and Population to deploy a doctor has fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

The centre was established six years ago considering increasing incidents of snake bite in Sarlahi and neighbouring districts. It receives 10 to 12 cases on a daily basis in the summer season. The centre has so far provided treatment to 4,500 patients. It also has an ambulance to ferry snakebite victims. With support from the UNDP, a solar power system is being installed to provide round-theclock service for patients, Kafle said.