KATHMANDU, Sept 16: The burn ward services at the National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, are set to begin from next week. Health and Population Minister Pradip Paudel formally inaugurated the ward on Friday. Burn plastic surgeon Dr Piyush Dahal mentioned that the services will commence only after the addition of five more doctors.

According to him, the Vice-Chancellor of the Academy, Dr Bhupendra Bahadur Basnet, will arrange for the necessary doctors within the next few days to start the services. He mentioned that three medical officers and two burn plastic surgeons need to be added. He also said that the rest of the staff are ready.

Since a 24-hour service is required, the burn ward hasn't started yet due to the lack of fully prepared staff. However, arrangements have been made at the trauma center for treating minor or less severe burns, he said. The Academy's Vice-Chancellor, Dr Basnet, mentioned that the necessary staff at Bir Hospital are ready, and the service has already begun.

"We have enough doctors within the hospital, and we will manage any shortages from here itself," he said. After the 2015 earthquake destroyed the burn ward of Bir Hospital, this service had been discontinued. Burn patients were being managed at the trauma center, but the hospital was unable to provide services for patients with extensive burns.

Currently, a 15-bed burn ward has been opened in the old neuro ward of the hospital, with five of those beds equipped with ventilators. These will be used to treat patients with severe burns. The remaining 10 beds are designated for patients with less severe burns.

Last year, after Nepali Congress MP Chandra Bhandari suffered burns from a gas explosion and couldn't receive treatment in Nepal, he had to be taken to Mumbai, India. Following this incident, the government decided to immediately open a burn ward at Bir Hospital.

 
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