KATHMANDU, May 19: Minister for Health and Population, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, has directed hospitals to compulsorily update information about the number of available beds on their official websites.

The health facilities have been asked to mention the number of occupied beds: both general and emergency and the number of vacant beds, if any, on their websites on a daily basis.

"We have reports that hospital beds are easily available for those who hold major posts or have access to the authorities. But it is challenging for the general public to find hospital beds when needed and in some cases patients die waiting for a bed in hospitals," the minister said.        

The hospitals have been instructed to implement the government directive within the next seven days. 

The health facilities in the federal government have been urged to ensure an online ticketing system for OPD services by the next 15 days for the convenience of service seekers and to reduce the crowd in hospitals.

Likewise, the minister wants such facilities to systematize foreign visits, seeking the details of employees observing the foreign visits in the current fiscal, sponsors and the achievements of visits.  "Culture of foreign visits in the ministry remains as a plague. Those in rural areas have never got an opportunity for foreign trip whereas some faces are repeating in the name of experts."

He insisted on the need of discouraging foreign visits and proving its relevance if required.

The health minister was of the view of withdrawing health materials and equipment lying unused for two years and providing them to other facilities as per the need. He also directed the bodies concerned for seeking clarifications over the purchase of medical equipment when there is lack of human resources and infrastructure for their operation, to submit a two-year plan of hospitals and test the medical equipment in all federal hospitals.

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