6,000 people undergoing treatment in hospitals in Nepal: gov't spokesman

Nepali government said on Wednesday that more than 6,000 injured people are receiving treatment in 18 districts following Saturday's major earthquake.

Addressing a press briefing in Kathmandu, government spokesperson Minendra Rijal, also the minister for information and communications, said that the injured people are getting free medical treatment across the country.

Rijal added that the government would arrange free medicines for people in the quake-hit areas very soon in view of possible epidemic as a result of contaminated food and shortage of clean drinking water in the far-flung villages and the capital.

"We admit that the government is not able to dispatch relief materials and rescue teams as per the demand of people. It doesn't mean the government is not paying attention to quake-hit people. The government is making utmost efforts to provide relief to the people at the earliest," the minister added.

The government has already dispatched 434 million rupees (4.25 million U.S. dollars) to the earthquake-hit districts and more financial support will be allocated in a few days, officials of the Home Ministry said.

Some 4,700 big-sized tents and 23,523 small-sized tents have been distributed to the people, according to Rijal.

"We will set up at least 500,000 camps across the country to provide relief and support to the quake-hit people within the next 15 days," the minister said, adding that the authorities have decided to provide 40,000 rupees (392 U.S. dollars) for each family of the victims. Endi