Bir starts clean hospital campaign

KATHMANDU, Feb 25: Bir Hospital has started “Clean Hospital Campaign” with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in a bid to get rid of mice, fleas and bugs.

The campaign has been initiated following damage of costly hospital equipment by mice.

C- Arm machine of the Orthopedic Department has been damaged for three months after mice urinated on its motherboard.

The machine worth seven million rupees is an imaging scanner which has radiographic capabilities and is used primarily for fluoroscopic imaging during surgical, orthopedic, critical care, and emergency care procedures.

Likewise, an X-ray machine worth eight million rupees and an echocardiogram machine have also been damaged by mice.

The hospital has started to destroy all possible abode of mice in the hospital. “We auctioned off all old furniture and dysfunctional equipment, which were stored from 120 years,” hospital Director Dr Bulanda Thapa said.

The hospital has replaced old bed sheets and mattresses at the hospital at the start of the campaign. “We have changed all the old mattresses and sprayed chemicals to kill the fleas and bugs after patients and their visitors complained about the problems,” Dr Thapa added.

The hospital has also applied necessary measures to keep the hospital clean. In coordination with Health Care Foundation, a non-governmental organization, the hospital has started to manage hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. “We do not let food and other biological things in the room, which can lure the mice,” he said, adding, “If such measures fail to stop the rats we will also use mild poison to kill them,” he said.

The hospital has also formed a 45-member committee for the success of the campaign. “All the department chiefs and in-charge of wards are members of the team,” he said.

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