Kathmandu, January 18:

Efforts are afoot to convert the Kanti Children Hospital into an education institution with additional specialties and services.

The Kanti Children Hospital Development Board has submitted a draft bill to the Ministry of Health and Population to transform the hospital into the National Institute of Child Health (NICH). Dr Harish Chandra Upreti, coordinator of National Institute of Child Health Infrastructure Development, said the required infrastructure to expand the 300-bed hospital to a 500-bed one has been estimated.

The hospital will expand addition specialties like orthopedic, opthalmology, ENT, pediatric uero surgery, pediatric neuro surgery, and pediatric dialysis. Presently, the hospital provides medical, surgical and emergency care, and its sub-specialties includes neonatology, pediatric intensive care, neonatal intensive care, pediatric cardiology, pediatric nephrology, pediatric oncology, out patient service and clinics for children under five years of age. Even after 46 years of its establishment, KCH’s growth has been slow. A study report was prepared in 1996 by Dr Manindra Ranjan Baral has not taken any shape.