Bharatpur Hospital has bought 32 different medical equipment and appliances worth around Rs 300 million. Most of the purchased equipment have arrived while efforts are underway to bring the rest, said Dr Rudra Marasini, the hospital’s medical superintendent. 

Patients who would otherwise be forced to visit private hospitals for medical tests and other treatment shall be able to receive the services at the hospital at cheaper fees once the equipment are installed and brought into operation, he added.

The process to buy the equipment was begun after the Ministry of Health ensured the required budget to the hospital through the Finance Ministry. 

A total of 12 sets of equipment necessary for kidney dialysis have been installed, Dr Marasini said, adding that the service will be provided at the hospital after a week. 

So far, only two medical colleges have been providing dialysis service in the district. Likewise, a 128-slice CT scanner has also been installed. Other purchased equipment include five medical ventilators, laboratory equipment, an X-ray machine, two ultrasound machines, four anaesthetic machines, a freezer with capacity to store 15 corpses at a time and a washing machine.

Around 200,000 patients from Chitwan and neighbouring districts receive treatment at the hospital annually, said Chairman of the Hospital Development Committee Raj Kumar Rajbhandari.