Purbanchal University to operate full-time hospital from January

BY HARI PRASAD KOIRALA,Morang, Dec. 7: Purbanchal University, in Morang, is going to operate full-time hospital services from January. The goal is to solve the problem of running a medical college when the hospital is in partial operation.  In a press meet organised in the auditorium of the Purbanchal University (PU) on Monday, Dr. Sunil Kumar Sharma, member of the House of Representatives (HoR) of Morang 3, pledged to provide full support for the operation of the hospital.

Sharma had mentioned in his election commitment letter that he would run a medical college in the university. Sharma said that if a hospital with at least 300 beds is not operated, its medical college could not be operated, too. 

The basic task for running a medical college is to run a hospital, said Sharma and added that the university's Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Yadav Raj Koirala, Registrar Neelmani Pokharel and Hospital Director Dr. Vipesh Acharya have discussed the issue of hospital operation passionately, saying that the operation of the hospital will go ahead no matter what.   MP Sharma, who was elected through the November 20 elections, asked to coordinate first with the university's ‘mother institutes’, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and Koshi Hospital. 

If there is no support from these institutes, Novel Teaching Hospital will provide full support for one year. Sharma, who is also the director of Novel Medical College, said that he will take the responsibility of providing MD and DM degrees.  There is no difficulty in starting a medical college after the hospital comes into operation. 

Prof. Dr.Yadav Raj Koirala, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said that the university is currently operating a hospital on a very small scale.  Mentioning that the affiliation of the medical college cannot be taken in this situation, Vice-Chancellor Koirala said that Gothagau would not feel like the presence of university unless the hospital is connected with the local society. Dr. Koirala assured that the hospital with 300 beds will be operated. 

According to PU, Hospital Director Dr. Vipesh Acharya, currently the hospital is providing medical services with 80 human resources including 11 specialist doctors. 

To operate at least 300 beds, 15 more specialist doctors and corresponding doctors and nurses are needed. The university had taken permission to operate a 700-bed hospital during its founding period; later it was decided to lower to 300 beds.  

Despite the reduction of 400 beds, the hospital with 300 beds could not be operated in Gothagau due to internal problems of the university. The university, which started a 50-bed hospital in 2008, is currently operating a 30-bed hospital with emergency services.

“We have worked tirelessly to move the university’s head office to Gothagau in November 2020, enabling us to set up a hospital here. At present, a minimum of 300 to 380 patients are receiving services from the hospital daily. Although there is an emergency service in the hospital, it is currently operating from 7 am to 5 pm,” said Dr. Acharya. 

The emergency services and specialist doctors are available around the clock, and the university boasts of complete facilities in terms of infrastructure, he added. 

At present, 700 students are studying seven subjects in the university under the medical sciences, including, BSc Nursing, PBBM, BPH, B Pharmacy, BSC MLT, MPH and M Pharmacy. However, due to the lack of MBBS courses, it is not like a medical university. The buildings were constructed by the university in the year 2004 at a cost of Rs.300 million. 

The locals are elated at the prospect of medical college being operated at their place, as is the university administration. 

The government of Nepal has fenced 84 bighas of land out of a total of 805 for the university. Locals are hopeful that the hospital and medical college will be opened soon and that it would transform the village in a big way.