Here are the most urgent needs for FOPH funds.

A New ICU

The present Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is too small and not well equipped. It is planned to build a new and larger ICU with 10 beds that will be much better equipped than at present. The present ICU will then be converted to a High Dependency Unit (HDU). An HDU is needed since many sick patients after surgery now have to be transferred directly to the ward which increases their risk of both morbidity and mortality. Such patients require close monitoring, but not intensive management. Keeping them in an ICU is a waste of strained resources.

The estimated cost is about $150,000.

Emergency Room Laboratory

The emergency department in Patan Hospital is one of the busiest in the country, seeing more than 120 patients each day. The quality of service is also said to be best. However, there is a place for improvement. One of the problems has been the delay in getting the reports of blood tests. This is due to the fact that all emergency investigations are done in the main lab. During the day these get mixed with the outpatient department and ward investigations, holding up the reports and delaying either discharge or admission of patients. A separate emergency room lab will expedite the reporting there and streamline routine lab tests.

The estimated cost is about $70,000.

Establishing an ENT Department

Patan Hospital does not have an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department and patients requiring such service have to be referred elsewhere. There are only private clinics in the Lalitpur District that provide ENT service and these are costly. Most patients have to travel either to Bir Hospital or the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Hence, there is a strong demand to establish this department.

The estimated cost is about $150,000.