All provinces to get hospital for maternity services: State Health Minister

The preparations are underway to expand service related to maternity and gynecology by building hospitals for gynecology in all seven provinces, said Minister of State for Health and Population, Umesh Shrestha. "There is a need to expand the health service as increasing women are dealing with health problems," he said while addressing the 62nd anniversary of Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital here today.

Viewing that the hospital should be developed as a health care and research centre for females, he said the ministry was at work to equip it.

"Possibilities are enough when resources of the hospital are fully utilised. The hospital should demand with the ministry for what it lacks. We will address its demands."

Initiatives have been taken in importing 4 million doses of Moderna and 6 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. So far, 20 percent of the country's total population have been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and 13 percent second dose.

At the programme, health secretary Dr Roshan Pokharel said the ministry was working to further systematise the maternity hospital. According to him, the ministry will help the hospital get 700 more beds.

Kathmandu Metropolis mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya pledged to help upgrade the hospital. He said the metropolis has already provided 40 ventilators to the hospital and would provide five more after the equipment arrived from China.

Hospital director Dr Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra shared information about the hospital planning to add additional 200 beds. Similarly, the hospital has been offering ‘Human Milk Bank’ and ‘test-tube baby’ facilities.

 Hospital’s deputy director Dr Shree Prasad Adhikari said around 22,000 women took maternity services annually from the hospital. Services like OPD, maternity, family planning, and safe abortion, safe motherhood, free neonatal, and artificial insemination are available in the hospital.

The hospital that had started services on Bhadra 10, 2016 BS in the Nepali calendar (August 26, 1959) on the Day of Shree Krishnasthami with 40 beds has now 489 beds when it celebrates its 62nd establishment day.

The hospital provides maternity services for COVID-19 infected from its Kupandole-based building. Around 50-70 women have been given maternity services and 1,000 visited its OPD each day, it is said.