KATHMANDU, May 28: Health Minister Pradeep Yadv has directed the emergency cases staying in the old building of the National Academy of Medical Science (NAMS) Bir Hospital to be shifted to the new building. 

Minister Yadav directed shifting the emergency room to the surgical hall while inspecting Bir Hospital on May 27.

Dr Bhupendra Basnet, vice-chancellor of NAMS, said that Minister Yadav has directed to simplify the process to address the congestion faced by patients in the emergency cases within a month. There are 45 beds in the emergency room, but up to 150 patients come here everyday to seek treatment.

For patients in critical condition, the hospital has its own standards to ensure prompt and quality service. However, the hospital is itself in a chaotic condition.  

There is a rule that the patients arriving at the emergency ward must be treated within 6 hours, and those who cannot be treated there must be referred to other hospitals with appropriate information. However, doctors at the hospital say that it has not been followed. 

Likewise, 80 percent of patients in yellow and green areas need to wait over 24 hours to be admitted to wards. However, for the remaining, they have to wait three to four days in an emergency room to get admitted for treatment. Up to three patients are compelled to share a single bed of an emergency room. 

After the 42-bed capacity emergency room which is currently in the old building is shifted to a new building, more beds will be added.

 
• NAMS