KATHMANDU: The burn ward services at the National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, are scheduled to commence next week following the formal inauguration by Health and Population Minister Pradip Paudel on Friday. However, Dr. Piyush Dahal, a burn plastic surgeon, noted that the services will only begin once additional medical staff are in place.

Dr. Dahal indicated that five more doctors are needed to start the services, including three medical officers and two burn plastic surgeons. The Vice-Chancellor of the Academy, Dr. Bhupendra Bahadur Basnet, is expected to arrange for these doctors within the next few days to ensure the burn ward can operate effectively.

Currently, the burn ward has not yet started due to the lack of fully prepared staff necessary for 24-hour service. In the interim, minor or less severe burns are being treated at the trauma center. Dr. Basnet assured that the hospital has sufficient doctors and will address any staff shortages internally.

After the 2015 earthquake destroyed the burn ward, it has reopened in the former neuro ward, with fifteen beds. While the remaining ten beds are for less severe burns, five of these beds have ventilators for severe burn victims.

The event involving Nepali Congress MP Chandra Bhandari last year, who had to be transferred to Mumbai for burn treatment because Nepal lacked proper facilities, brought attention to a major need that this new hospital addresses. The government opened the burn ward at Bir Hospital earlier than planned as a result of this.

With the necessary preparations underway, the burn ward at Bir Hospital aims to provide comprehensive care for burn patients, filling a significant gap in the country's healthcare infrastructure.