A meeting of High-level Coordination Committee chaired by deputy prime minister and minister of Defense has decided to immediately prepare 120 bedded Intensive Care Unit (ICU) wards in the Kathmandu Valley for the treatment of potential COVID-19 patients. The committee has decided to establish 1,000-bed isolation wards at seven different hospitals of the valley.

The beds will be added in 200 beds in Ayruvedic Teaching Hospital, 220 in the Kharipati-based Training Centre of Nepal Electricity Authority, 60 in the Telkot-based Training Centre of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), 100 in Teku Hospital, 70 in Patan Hospital, 100 in the hospitals of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force and 250 in the Ichangunarayan-based Army Barrack.

The meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers decided to adopt a high precaution against the possible spread of coronavirus in Nepal. According to the decision, the government will arrange 20 bedded ICU wards each at six different hospitals of the Kathmandu Valley.

According to secretary Narayan Prasad Bidari, the government would immediately work to prepare 20 bedded ICU wards at Bir Hospital, Patan Hospital, the Kritipur-based Ayurvedic Teaching Hospital, the Teku-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, the Satungal-based Nepal Armed Police Force Hospital and the Chhauni-based Army Hospital.

The committee had also directed the Ministry of Health and Population to arrange at least 100 ICU wards at the State and local level hospitals.

Along with these, the committee has decided to import 800 sets of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and 3,000 sets of diagnostic kits at the earliest.

Likewise, the Ministry of Health and Population would vend 20,000 sets of PPE, 10,000 sets of diagnostic kits and 1,000 sets of forehead thermal guns as per the existing laws.