s the number of symptomatic coronavirus cases continues to grow, the government

wants private hospitals to allocate upto 1,000 beds for Covid-19 patients.

But private hospitals seem reluctant to do so.

As public hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients, the Ministry of Health and
Population directed the Association of Private Health Institutions, Nepal, to set aside as
many as 1,000 beds and 100 ICUs for virus patients.

The new directive from the government, which had earlier directed private institutions
to allocate 20 percent of their total bed capacity for Covid cases, is impossible to
implement, hospital operators say. “We can’t allocate beds and ICUs the government
has asked for,” said Kumar Thapa, senior vice president at the Association of Private
Health Institutions.

“Representatives from the Ministry of Health have sought 1,000 beds and 100 ICU. But
we can’t afford to provide all of what is being asked,” Thapa told the Post. “At best, we
can manage up to 500 beds and 60 ICUs. We are making plans and will decide how to
go about it soon. But managing 1,000 beds is impossible.”

Sameer Adhikari, joint spokesperson for the ministry, said that pressure on public
hospitals treating Covid-19 was getting “tighter”, and the ministry is discussing the
prospect of admitting patients to private hospitals.

“We have already coordinated with certain hospitals such as Manmohan Hospital, KMC,
NMC, Yeti Hospital, and Megha Hospital,” he said.

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