What were they thinking?

The budget cut has had a devastating impact on Bir Hospital, much to the dismay of poor patients.

At a time when more and more countries in the developing world are looking to strengthen their welfare benefits and ensure better health services for their citizens, Nepal seems to be going in the opposite direction. Bir Hospital, the state-run facility in the federal capital, is in a bad shape, as its general beds have been reduced from 960 to 600. Even the life-saving intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency beds have been reduced from 60 to 27 and from 55 to 35, respectively. Notably, in a single day, over 3,000 patients from across the country seek services at the hospital, and many of them are now being forced to head home without treatment.