Earlier, the Health Ministry had instructed them to run their services from their buildings only after assessing the safety. The ministry will verify the assessment report before allowing them to resume operations.

In a meeting with the ministry officials on Monday, the representatives of APHIN, ANGHOS and APMDC agreed to conduct rapid visual assessment of their buildings from the government-recognised structural engineers.

"Since it is essential for the hospitals to deliver the services as soon as possible we have requested the ministry and our members to expedite the assessment process," said Gopi Neupane, general secretary of APHIN.  

Dr Guna Raj Lohani, spokesperson of the ministry, said only those facilities that get the green stickers, meaning they are fit to live in, will be permitted to move indoors.

"Buildings that get yellow stickers need to undergo major overhaul while those buildings that get red stickers will have to rebuild new facilities," said Dr Lohani.

According to the officials at the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks have mainly damaged old hospital buildings.

Since the recently built private hospitals had been assessed for earthquake safety prior to granting them operation permits, they did not suffer major damage.