NEPALGUNJ, May 1: Nepalgunj Medical College, a hospital that has been treating patients infected by the coronavirus in the district, has announced plans to upgrade their COVID-19 ward to 300 beds. As announced by the hospital, “Any COVID-19 patient coming to the medical college will not have to return as they will be admitted.” 

The news about the medical college expanding its COVID-19 ward with oxygen has brought relief to many patients suffering from the coronavirus. After the announcement, infected patients from various districts including Banke, Dang, Bardiya, Kailali, and Surkhet have arrived at the Medical College for treatment. Hospitals in other districts have also referred critically ill patients for treatment to the Teaching Hospital in Kohalpur.

The crowd of the infected patients at the medical college has increased to such an extent that the teaching hospital has not been able to control it. According to the administration of the medical college, 104 COVID-19 patients have been admitted to the teaching hospital in Kohalpur. But, according to the records of the District COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (DCCMC), a total of 74 patients - 47 males and 27 females - have been admitted to the hospital. Among them, 31 are in critical condition. The other infected patients have been admitted to different wards of the hospital including the emergency ward. Currently, the medical college is running its COVID-19 ward with a capacity of 100 beds with additional facilities of ventilators, ICU, and oxygen.

However, many of the infected patients and their relatives have been complaining about not being admitted after arriving at the hospital. The infected patients outside the hospital are in a dire situation as they are struggling for their lives. “Patients are dying outside the hospital but we are not able to do anything for them,”  a doctor at the hospital said.

According to a source, despite the medical college expanding its COVID-19 ward to 300 beds, there is not enough oxygen for all the patients. “The medical college is trying to increase its bed capacity to 300 beds but the oxygen plant here cannot provide oxygen to more than 100 beds,” the doctor said.

As stated by the deputy director of the medical college, Dr Nitesh Kumar Kanodiya, the COVID-19 ward that will hold 300 beds is not ready at the moment. He said that the problems had arisen due to the increasing crowd of infected patients when the 300-bed ward was not even ready. “The expansion of the 300-bed ward has not even started yet and the preparations are being made at the moment,” he added. According to Dr Kanodiya, discussions are being held to easily manage the infected patients who have arrived at the hospital.

 
• Coronavirus
 
• Nepalgunj
 
• Hospital