Kathmandu, Jan. 25 (RSS):An emergency meeting of the Health Management Committee held under the chairmanship of its convenor and Health Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari yesterday took various decisions on providing health services in a quick and coordinated way to those who are injured in violent Maoist attacks.
According to the Health Ministry, as Bir Hospital and TU Teaching Hospital have become overcrowded with patients since the persons injured in Maoist violence are directly brought to Kathmandu for treatment and this has to some extent hampered the regular treatment at the hospitals, it seems plausible to use Bheri Zonal Hospital, Pokhara Regional Hospital and Koshi Zonal Hospital for the purpose, and a decision has been taken to make necessary arrangement for treatment of patients from nearby areas at these hospitals.
These hospitals are required to provide services to the patients with the assistance of local medical colleges, keep alert rescue teams comprising a doctor and a paramedic round the clock, provide first aid treatment to the patients on the spot, refer the patients with minor injuries to a nearby health post and bring those with serious injuries to hospital, if possible, the ministry said.
If any patients need to be taken from the site of incident direcly to Kathmandu for treatment, they should be sent along with similar opinion.
The Medical Superintendents of hospitals are required to work as coordinators and the Ministry has also decided to extend necessary cooperation for the treatment of cases referred by Bir Hospital at Teku Hospital by creating a separate ward there. Private hospitals handling trauma and surgical cases are required to provide a certain quota of beds to the patients referred by government hospitals and waive bed charge, operation charge and consultation fee.
Similarly, arrangements will be made for providing financial assistance to the victims of Maoist violence by maintaining coordination between the hospital chief and the CDO and, a health worker of the hospital itself will be designated to see to it that the assistance provided by the Home Ministry is properly used.
Since complaints have been received that the financial assistance provided by the Home Ministry has not reached health institutions involved in the treatment of patients injured in Maoist violence and the injured persons, a request will be made to the Home Ministry and the Finance Ministry to provide such assistance through the CDOs of Kathmandu, Banke, Kaski and Morang districts.
The ministry issued strict directives that the equipment necessary for the treatment should be kept in proper order and place for providing speedy services to the patients and if any equipment needs repairs and if it is beyond the capacity of the local hospital or health institution, it should be forwarded to the Health Ministry to which a prompt response should be made,the ministry said.
According to information received from the Health Ministry, Bheri Zonal Hospital and Medical College Nepalgunj will provide services to the districts in Mid-Western Region and Far Western Regions, and Pokhara Regional Hospital and Manipal Medical College to the districts in Western Region.
Similarly, Lumbini Zonal Hospital Butwal and Bharatpur Hospital can also be used on the recommendation of a rescue team.
Koshi Zonal Hospital, Biratnagar and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Dharan will also provide medical services in Eastern Districts.