Doti District Hospital sans doctors

DHANGADI: The physicians working at the District Hospital, Doti have left the district on Wednesday citing security reasons after Dr Jitendra Shahi was manhandled at hospital premises.

Dr Shahi was beaten by a female patient’s kin on Sunday, accusing him of misbehaving with the woman while performing a video x-ray.

The doctors working at the public hospital have left the district after Nepal Medical Association and Government Doctors’ Association of Nepal issued a statement asking the doctors working at private and government health offices to leave the district.

Satish Bista, Senior Public Health Administrator at the District Health Office (DHO), Doti has confirmed that the doctors have left the district. He said, "The doctors have left fearing for their safety following the attack, and after the associations that they are affiliated to called them to Kathmandu."

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Shiva Bahadur Singh, after the incident, District Police Office has filed a case against four persons for their involvement in the attack on the doctor, and has arrested them, investigations to which are underway.

The arrestees have been identified as Himkat Singh Bista, Bijaya Bista, Tek Bahadur Bista of Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality-7 in Doti, and Arun Mahat of ward 6 of the same municipality.

After the doctors from the government quota left the hospital, only Dr Girish Awasthi — deployed by the non-government organisation, Nick Simons Institute — remains in the hospital, who is also planning to leave the district on Thursday.