KATHMANDU, Aug 14: The government has asked private hospitals to allocate 20 percent of their beds for COVID-19 patients as the increasing number of cases has left only a few beds available for new COVID-19 patients in the coronavirus-designated hospitals.   

As COVID-19 is ringing alarm bells in densely populated cities including the capital city Kathmandu, the Ministry of Health and Population on Friday urged private hospitals to allocate 20 percent of their beds to admit new COVID-19 patients.

The health ministry has urged private hospitals to admit new patients in the presence of hub hospitals. The government has declared 25 hospitals across the country as hub hospitals. 

However, private hospitals in Kathmandu Valley should coordinate with hub hospitals and take permission from the health ministry to admit new COVID-19 patients.

The government decided to direct private hospitals to allocate beds for COVID-19 patients as coronavirus-designated hospitals, especially in the Kathmandu Valley, are already overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

In the last few days, the Kathmandu Valley has been recording at least 100 new cases every day. According to the health ministry, there are more than 1,000 active COVID-19 cases in the Valley.

On Friday, at least 119 new cases were detected in the Valley itself. As many as 594 new cases and four more COVID-19 related deaths were recorded across the country, according to the health ministry.

As of Friday afternoon, there are 8,375 active cases in the country with 99 COVID-19 deaths recorded across the country.  

 
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