Kolti Health Post under threat

BAJURA: Kolti Primary Health Post in Bajura, which was badly affected due to landslides last year, is most likely to face a similar fate this year.

The health post is said to be under high risk of landslips since the authority did not heed the appeal that the health post be transfered elsewhere in Bajura. Locals from as many as 11 northern VDCs, along with residents from adjoining VDCs of neighbouring Humla and Jumla districts, visit the health facility.

Among three buildings of the health post, two were damaged, whereas one was buried in a landslide a year ago. The health facility, however, had resumed services after clearing the debris from one of the buildings.

Ashok Kumar Yadav, Senior Assistant Health Worker and Acting Office Chief of the health facility, said that they had no option but to continue services though they were terrified of disaster. “We have only one building and the fear of landslip has been looming large,” he said.

Staff nurse Hemu Shrestha said, “Though patients are admitted in the health post, they reside in nearby hotels at night fearing the natural disaster,” adding, “Even we extend our services to hotel rooms at night for those who visit the health facility. Due to incessant rainfall, neither patients nor health workers want to stay at the health post at night.”

Auxiliary nursing mid-wife Dauma Dhami said that over 100 patients visit the health facility each day. The health facility has been storing necessary drugs, the refrigerator and other instruments in Kolti bazaar due to lack of building.

Ramadatta Neupane, VDC secretary and chairman of the health post management committee, said that they had requested the District Health Office and Department of Health to transfer the health post to a safer location after it was hit by landslides last year. “But, nobody has taken any initiative regarding our appeal as of yet,” said Neupane.

Then Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam and Industry Minister Karna Bahadur Thapa had assured they would relocate the health facility during field monitoring after the incident.

“They could not feel the people’s sentiments. We cannot keep serving people by pushing ourselves at high risk,” said Neupane.