By A Staff Reporter  
Kathmandu, May 3 : Private and public hospitals across the country have begun preparations against coronavirus and are adding ICUs and ventilator beds for the treatment as the patients of COVID-19 are increasing every passing day. Our Correspondents in various parts of the country reported that the hospitals were busy expanding isolation beds.  
Damauli Hospital in Tanahun prepared seven ICUs and four ventilator beds in the hospital for the treatment of the patients.
Pradeep Raj Adhikari, chair of the hospital management committee, said that they added 11 beds for emergency service. “Federal Ministry of Health and Population granted us Rs. 20 million for adding facility,” he said.  
According to him, the hospital can take care of serious COVID-19 patients after the expansion of the facilities.
Dr. Sunil Paudyal, chief medical officer in the hospital, said that new advanced instruments were installed in the hospital, however, the human resources were managed from the previous available posts. The hospital also built an oxygen plant inside the hospital premises.
Similarly, Provincial hospital in Surkhet is focused on the treatment of COVID-19 as the number of patients is increasing in western Nepal. The hospital decided to treat only coronavirus positive patients from its old building.
Our Correspondent in Surkhet said that the hospital used to provide all sorts of medical services from its new building till date.
KN Paudel, the focal person in the hospital, said that the hospital would continue its services to the COVID-19 patients from the old building and other medical services from the new building. “We are focused on emergency bed expansion as the number of referral patients is increasing here,” he said. According to him, the Provincial government allocated Rs. 22 million for immediate bed expansion.
For now, there are only 25 beds available in the hospital for the emergency treatment; however, 40 patients are undergoing treatment.
“We will expand our capacity to 100 beds and provide better health services to the victims at the time of global health crisis,” the doctor said. Provincial government transferred its capital budget for addition of beds. 
Likewise, in Salyan, local levels have built isolation wards with oxygen facilities for the COVID-19 patients. Kauprkot, Chhatreshwori, Siddha Kumakh rural municipalities have built 47 isolation beds in total.
In Saptari, Kanchanrup Municipality has prepared 30 isolation beds. The local government converted a community building into a hospital and they began health services from there. Nawaraj Khadka, executive officer in the municipality, said that they prepared 30 new beds with oxygen and medical services with required health workers for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.