Valley hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, no isolation bed available for new patients

Kathmandu / Aug 6: The hospitals designated for the treatment of COVID-19 in the Kathmandu Valley have started to send asymptomatic coronavirus patients to self-isolation at home as isolation wards are already overwhelmed with symptomatic patients.

With a significant rise in the number of cases in recent times, hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley are sending asymptomatic patients to self-isolation at home as per the direction from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD).

“The isolation wards are already occupied. We are unable to admit new patients. So, asymptomatic COVID-19 patients are sent to self-isolation at home,” hospitals say.

In the Lalitpur-based Patan Hospital, 60 beds have been allocated for COVID-19 patients. But, a total of 66 COVID-19 patients are admitted to the hospital for treatment. “All the isolation beds at the hospital are occupied by COVID-19 patients. We are unable to admit new patients,” said Bishnu Prasad Sharma, director at the hospital.

“The hospital managed additional six beds at the isolation ward. As there are no beds available for new patients, we have started to send asymptomatic patients to self-isolation at home,” added Sharma.

Likewise, a total of 46 COVID-19 patients are admitted to the Teku-based Shukraraaj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. The hospital is already overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, according to the hospital.

“We are only treating symptomatic patients at the moment. As per the recommendation of EDCD, asymptomatic patients are sent to self-isolation at home,” Dr Sagar Rajbhandari, director at the hospital, told Republica.

The COVID-19 designated hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, and the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is mulling over allowing private hospitals to admit coronavirus patients, according to Dr Basudev Pandey, director at EDCD.

According to the data of the health ministry, there are almost 500 active cases of coronavirus in the Kathmandu Valley.

“Currently, we are facing difficulties in managing beds for infected patients in the Kathmandu Valley. Almost all the designated hospitals are overwhelmed with patients. So, the government has set up new wards at two places in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur to manage beds for new coronavirus patients,” said Pandey, adding that the health ministry is holding discussions with several stakeholders to manage beds for new patients in private hospitals.

According to him, the government has prepared new spaces at Ayurveda Teaching Hospital in Kirtipur and Nepal Military Academy in Kharipati to admit new coronavirus patients.

The government has designated seven hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.