Jul 05, Kathmandu - Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan has implemented a system to make the details of waiting patients public through a display board (electronic information board) to ensure transparency, fairness and easy access to intensive care unit (ICU) services.

According to the new system, once a bed is available in the ICU, the concerned patient or his/her relatives will be informed by sending a message (SMS) through mobile phone. Since ICU beds in the hospital are often not vacant, the hospital administration has stated that the name and details of those waiting on the display board have been arranged to ensure that patients are not deprived of ICU services.

Bharatpur Hospital spokesperson Dr. Ram Prasad Sapkota informed that the system has been implemented to ensure transparency, fairness and priority-based service in a highly sensitive service like the ICU. He said, "To ensure more transparency, fairness and easy access to ICU services, we have implemented a system to display the names of waiting patients on a display board. We have made arrangements to send messages to the patients or relatives via phone once a bed is available in the ICU. This will help make the service delivery more systematic and reliable."

The necessary details for admission to the ICU will be entered from the hospital's emergency service counter. The hospital has stated that this system will make it easy to get information about the availability of ICU beds and will help in providing services based on need. Spokesperson Dr. Sapkota said that this system will facilitate information about the availability of ICU beds and will help in providing services according to medical priorities and prescribed procedures.

The 600-bed Bharatpur Hospital currently has a total of 38 beds in operation under the adult intensive care unit, including 18 beds in the old ICU (MICU and AICU), 18 beds in the new ICU and CCU, and two beds in the ICU of the burn ward. A 35-bed ICU service is available for children and newborns. The hospital has 50 beds in the emergency department. More than 3,000 patients come to the hospital daily for services.