By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 10: The government has started providing COVID-19 diagnostic and treatment facilities from a dedicated hospital set up at the Armed Police Force Hospital Balambu, since Thursday.
The Ministry of Health and Population has converted APF’s Balambu-based hospital as anti-coronavirus dedicated facility.
Prior to this, the diagnosis and treatment of the virus was happening solely at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku.
The APF began its services by admitting seven people and keeping them in isolation wards, according to Dr Bikas Devkota, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population.
The APF Hospital will treat only the coronavirus infected and those testing positive, according to Dr Devkota.
A joint medical team from Nepali Army, APF,

Nepal Police and the government doctors will be involved in the treatment, he said. A high level committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel on March 21 had decided to establish one corona dedicated hospital at APF Office in Balambu.
In the 110-bed APF hospital, 10 ICU wards are prepared for the treatment of the corona infected patients. Nepali Army has been preparing 120-bed hospital including 20 ICU beds for the treatment of coronavirus infected people at its Chhauni Hospital.
The government has also managed lab test of the virus in National Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory in Bharatpur, Janakpur Zonal Hospital, Dhanusha, Dhulikhel Hospital, Kavre, Seti Zonal Hospital, Kailali, Pokhara Health Science Academy, Kaski, National Public Health Laboratory, Kathmandu, Vector Borne Disease Research and Training Centre, Makwanpur, National Wheat Research Centre, Rupandehi, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Sunsari, and Mid-western Regional Hospital, Surkhet.