Damak Child Hospital ready to come into operation

BY BISHNU PRASAD POKHREL,Damak, Mar. 31: All preparations to bring the Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH)-Damak Child Hospital established under the leadership of the KOICH and Professor Dr. Bhagwan Koirala into operation have been completed. 

The KIOCH Damak Child Hospital  has been established for all the children of Koshi Province. 

A hospital of this kind is going to be operated for the first time in Koshi Province in the initiative of Dr. Koirala who had announced to establish multi-specialty children's hospitals in all seven provinces. 

The hospital is going to start its counseling and health services soon though it will take time for the official inauguration of the hospital. 

At a press meet organised on Thursday, it was informed that the hospital would begin to provide its services by organising a large free children's health camp from April 2 to April 4. Pediatricians and cardiologists will  provide services in the free camp. 

According to Dr. Navin Dhakal, project coordinator of the hospital, specialist doctors of Nepal will provide consultation and treatment services in the three-day free health camp. After that, some services including OPD with child specialists will be continued in the hospital, he added.

Construction of necessary infrastructure for the 50-bed multi-specialty community hospital built on the premises of Nepal Red Cross Society Damak sub-branch has also reached its final stage. 

The Red Cross has provided free space along with infrastructure for the hospital for 30 years. 

Stating that the provincial government and the federal government had also supported in the construction of necessary infrastructure for the operation of the hospital and management of  technical equipment, it was informed that necessary initiatives were being taken to provide health insurance services of the government of Nepal from the hospital.

Prof. Dr. Bhagwan Koirala, Prof. Dr. Sudha Basnet, Prof. Dr. Ratna Mani Gajurel and others would provide treatment services in the health camp.

President of Nepal Red Cross Society Damak sub-branch, Prakash Budhathoki said that it was a matter of pride for them to provide their building and space free of charge for 30 years since such a kind of hospital was being operated for the first time in Damak. 

According to KOICH, they had established the hospital in Damak under the plans of the KOICH to establish a 200-bed hospital in Kathmandu and 50-bed to 100-bed hospitals in other provinces.