Teku Hospital runs out of COVID-19 beds, patients being treated outside of emergency ward

KATHMANDU : The Teku-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital has run out of COVID-19 beds at the emergency ward.

According to Dr Sagar Rajbhandari, director of Nepal’s only infectious disease hospital, all 22 beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 32 out of the 33 beds available in the isolation ward are occupied. Similarly, six patients are undergoing treatment at the special isolation ward though it has a capacity to hold only five patients. Dr Rajbhandari added that 14 patients are being treated for the viral disease in the general ward where only five beds are available.

Talking to Republica over the phone, Rajbhandari said that the hospital is not admitting new patients unless the underoing ones gain recovery.

The Kathmandu Valley has reported a massive surge in COVID-19 infections in the past two weeks. According to the data provided by the health ministry, the Valley reported as many as 16,553 new COVID-19 cases in the past 19 days.