A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday decided to provide free treatment to those injured in the earthquake across all hospitals.

Emerging from the Cabinet meeting, Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet told journalists that the rescue operations are nearing an end and hospitals in all places including Kathmandu are on standby for treatment.

He said the next meeting will discuss how to mobilise assistance to be received from foreign countries.

The meeting also decided to provide Rs200,000 each to the family of those killed in the quake, said Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma.

The Nepal government on Saturday said it is not in a hurry to seek foreign help for search and rescue operations and in the management of relief distribution and other logistics in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has left a trail of destruction in western Nepal, particularly Jajarkot and West Rukum districts.

At least 157 people have been killed and nearly 400 injured in the magnitude 6.4 earthquake with its epicentre at Jajarkot’s Ramidanda that jolted Nepal and parts of India on Friday midnight.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Nepal’s immediate neighbours, India and China, and the United States have offered support with logistics, and search for the victims by sending rescue teams to the country.