KATHMANDU: B&C Teaching Hospital and Research Centre has offered its services to the government for treatment of COVID-19 related cases at a time when the threat of coronavirus infection in the country is getting very real.

Director of the Birtamode-based health facility, Durga Prasain, told THT Online that the hospital will be handed over to the government to run as a COVID-19 treatment facility amid the increasing risk of an outbreak in the nation, if the government is willing to do so.

Prasain said, they were ready to handover the hospital with all its facilities intact including the doctors and other health professionals. However, he added that the government will have to ensure the safety of the health workers and provide necessary materials required for COVID-19 treatment such as testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), among others.

"At a time when the whole world is reeling under such challenging circumstances, we all have to do our bit, and this is how we can contribute in the fight against the virus," stated Prasai.

The hospital has about 800 beds in total including 100 ICU beds, about 900 health workers including 105 consultant doctors, 25 ventilators, modern lab facilities, among others, informed the hospital director.

B&C Teaching Hospital, which is located in Birtamode Municipality-5, offers preventive and curative health care services. It was established on March 2, 2015.