Assistance Fund misused

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

BIRATNAGAR: The amount allocated for free treatment of deprived, disabled and senior citizen in Biratnagar-based Koshi Zonal Hospital has been misused.

The hospital has been providing free treatment to economically weak families through the Assistance Fund. But, for some time, the fund has been misused , said Chairperson at Hospital Development Committee Baleshwor Kamat.

More than 10 million rupees is separated annually for the fund formed some years ago. Chairperson Kamat said that the amount has been misused by doctors and staffers at the hospital. He charged that the fund was not being used to meet the purpose for which it had been set up.

Economically deprived families who came for treatment to the hospital used to get free bed charge, medicine, lab, radiography and surgery expenses through the Assistance Fund . “The Fund amount allocated for a year has been finished in two months,” he said, adding, “The amount should have been used as per the expenditure calendar, but there have been irregularities with the connivance of some staffers.”

As per hospital administration department, less than 10 per cent economically deprived patients come for treatment through the Assistance Fund. Due to interference of political leaders and cadres, economically well off patients were also receiving free treatment from the Fund.

More than 1,000 patients visit the largest government hospital of the eastern region daily.Fifty per cent of the patients are from economically deprived families.

Meanwhile, medicine shortage has hit the pharmacy of Koshi Zonal Hospital. The storekeeper said that patients were being directed to the Sajha Medicine Distribution Centre to buy medicine from as the store had run out of stock.