KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has arranged 374 beds at 52 hospitals for free treatment to helpless and poor people.    
The private hospitals are obliged to allocate a minimum of 10 percent beds for free treatment to the helpless people as per KMC's edict.    

Public health inspector at the health department of KMC, Dhanendra Shrestha, informed that 70 patients have so far benefitted from the scheme launched in February. Most of those receiving the service are from out of the capital city.    
After the private hospitals flouted legal provisions, the KMC introduced a free treatment work procedure, 2080 and enforced its strict implementation.    
The KMC has also arranged a system where the availability of beds, treatment services and other schemes at private hospitals can be checked online.    

Shrestha further informed that most of the patients receiving treatment under this scheme are suffering from ear, nose and throat (ENT) problems, and kidney disease, while some are having respiratory and eye problems.    

One can dial KMC’s hotline number 1180 to receive information about the treatment or for the service. -- RSS