Apr 27, Kathmandu- All OPD services, except emergency services, have been closed after a fire broke out at Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj, Banke.

The hospital administration has decided to close the OPD services on Sunday and Monday (Baishakh 14 and 15) after a fire broke out at the medical store in the hospital's OPD building on Saturday morning, causing extensive damage.

The hospital issued a statement saying, "The OPD building, medical store, pharmacy and other places were damaged due to a fire at the medical store in the OPD building of Bheri Hospital on April 13, 2005. Therefore, outpatient services cannot be resumed immediately." However, the hospital stated that emergency services are still operational.

According to Dr. Nirajan Subedi, Chief Medical Superintendent of Bheri Hospital, medicines, vaccines, medical equipment and furniture worth about Rs 30 million have been destroyed in the fire. It is initially estimated that the fire started in the refrigerator where the vaccines were kept due to an electrical short circuit.

The fire caused extensive damage to the hospital's medical store, pharmacy, and OPD building. In addition, some laboratory equipment and documents were also destroyed.