The hospital authority said older patients and disabled need not have to visit different departments for treatment once the new department comes into operation.
"All services will be provided at the same department by general practitioners," said Dr Bulanda Thapa, director at the hospital. “[break]The hospital has six general practitioners."
Patients will be transferred to the specialist doctors only if general practitioners fail to cure them, he said. Director Thapa said that the concept of new department was envisioned to ease the woes of older and disabled people.
Such people have been facing difficulties while climbing the hospital stairs and in finding various departments for treatment. The new department built on the ground floor of the hospital´s main building is already ready.
According to Dr Thapa, the hospital has sought help of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to prepare the new department. "The KMC chief was convinced of our proposal that aimed to provide easy access of health care to older and disabled," he added.
Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, the KMC chief, said that the KMC has been discussing with the hospital authority to provide free-of-cost services from the new department.
The government has already been providing heavy discounts in the treatment for older and disabled patients. "We have been discussing with the government and hospital authority to make the services free," said Adhikari.
The hospital said that it has written to the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) office for additional manpower to start the service. "We need additional five to six staffers to run the service and I have already written to the NAMS office for support," said director Thapa.
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