The Nepal-Bharat Maitri Emergency and Trauma Centre will handle trauma cases and perform minor surgeries for now, as the operating theatres are yet to be completed. The centre also do not have the human resources to come into full-fledged operation, officials at Bir Hospital say.

Dr Ganesh Gurung, vice-chancellor of National Academy of Medical Sciences (Nams), said they already have 60-65 doctors in place, but still need around 150 nurses before they can deliver effective services. To that end, Nams has demanded Rs 310 million centre from the Ministry of Health and Population.

Nams has also decided to transfer its orthopaedic and neurology departments at the centre. “Since the major cases coming to the centre have to be first dealt by orthopaedicians, neurologists or surgeons, having these department at the centre would provide the most important care,” said Dr Gurung.

This multi-storied facility-with a capacity of 200 beds-is a Rs 1.5 billion project of the Government of India.  The centre is supposed to have 150 beds in the trauma ward, six operation theatres, 14 ICUs, eight resuscitation rooms and beds for Emergency (ER observation), 10 examination cubicles at the out-patient department and a triage area, according to the plan. Like all the trauma centres, specialists such as orthopaedics, neurosurgeons, general surgeons, cardiologists, radiologists, physiotherapists and anaesthetists will be housed under the same roof.  

The construction of the trauma centre was announced during the visit of late Indian Prime Minister IK Gujral in 1997.  Nepal and India signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the centre in July 2003, before the construction works began in 2006.

Following its completion in 2008, Nams failed to operate the centre. Frequent changes in government, vested interests and bickering over its governing body delayed the operation.

In 2012, the then Health Minister Rajendra Mahato decided to bring the authority to operate trauma centre under the ministry from Nams. The incident further delayed the centre’s operation. This decision caused controversy after the anti-graft watchdog National Vigilance Centre seized all the documents belonging to the centre for review. Cases were filed against the government and the case over the operational structure of the trauma centre reached the Supreme Court.

It was only recently that the leadership of Health Minister Khagaraj Adhikari decided to hand over the centre to Bir Hospital. However, the former director of the centre, Dr Ashok Bajracharya, moved the court, arguing that the facility should remain under the government’s purview, not Bir Hospital’s.

On Sunday, the apex court decided to uphold the government decision to transfer the authority of the centre to Bir Hospital, paving way for its operation.