Relatives allege negligence as patient dies in Rukum hospital

Rukum, April 8

Forty-eight-year-old Nep Bahadur Oli of Chaukhabang-4, Rukum, was admitted to the district hospital at 10:00 pm yesterday after he complained of chest pain. He, however, took his last breath at 5:00 am today.

After Oli’s death, his kin have blamed the doctors involved in the treatment for his death. Jaya Bahadur, brother of the deceased, accused the doctors of negligence in Oli’s treatment.

“After he was admitted, they administered him saline water and gave some medicines before every one of them left the hospital. Later, we saw that the saline bottle had gone empty and my brother’s hand was bleeding from the point he was injected. We looked for health workers, but there was no one in the hospital,” he said.

“Finally we found all the doctors and health workers having a party at the doctors’ quarters. I reported them about my brother’s condition, but nobody cared,” claimed bereaved Jaya.

The hospital remained tense for some time today due to the protest staged by the kin of the deceased. The tension subsided after the hospital agreed to form a committee to investigate into the incident.

The probe committee is led by assistant CDO Sher Bahadur Pun and comprises Oli’s kin Basant Khadka as well as a representative from the District Public Health Office. “As per the agreement, the committee will investigate into the incident and submit its report in a fortnight,” said Khadka, condemning the hospital for negligence in patients’ treatment.

Meanwhile, hospital chief Dr Kshitiz Sapkota denied that the hospital staff had neglected their duty. “Even we feel disheartened when a patient dies,” he said, adding that the concerned doctor and health workers will be interrogated. It has been learnt that Dr Bikash Jung Chhetri had exited the hospital after asking the health workers on duty to administer saline water to the patient.

The locals rued the degrading quality of service in the hospital in recent days. “The hospital is always facing lack of manpower and necessary medicines,” lamented a local. A total of three doctors, including two hired on temporary basis, are currently working at the hospital.