Key Takeaways:

• Bajura Hospital performed eight complex surgeries in three days
• Five of the patients were children with fracture-related injuries
• Specialist treatment is reducing the need for referrals outside the district
• Patients from Humla and Mugu are also seeking care at the hospital

BAJURA, NOVEMBER 1 Patients who once had to travel to Dhangadhi or Kathmandu for specialist treatment are increasingly being treated closer to home, with District Hospital Bajura performing eight complex surgeries in just three days. The hospital carried out the operations between October 27 and 29, including five procedures on children and several orthopaedic surgeries involving fractures of the shoulder, elbow, forearm and wrist. Doctors also removed a tumour-like lump from a patient's thigh and sent tissue samples for laboratory examination. Among the patients treated were a 65-year-old man with a shoulder fracture and dislocation, a four-year-old boy with an elbow fracture, and a 13-year-old boy who had broken both bones in his forearm. Two young girls aged four and six also underwent surgery for elbow injuries, including one complex grade-three fracture. Hospital officials say the growing ability to perform such procedures locally is helping reduce the need for costly referrals outside the district. Around 300 patients received consultations and treatment services during the three-day period. Acting Medical Superintendent Dr Harish Bahadur Malla said orthopaedic cases are common in Bajura and that the availability of a specialist surgeon has significantly improved access to treatment. However, the hospital still lacks the capacity for major spinal, head and intensive-care surgeries. The expansion follows the arrival of orthopaedic surgeon Dr Shirish Shrestha, who has been serving at the hospital since last December. The provincial government also deployed MDGP physician Dr Rahul Shrestha under a scholarship contract in August. Despite being approved for only 15 beds, the hospital currently operates 57 beds and serves around 150 patients a day. Officials say patients are now arriving not only from Bajura but also from neighbouring Humla and Mugu districts. Hospital authorities believe many residents remain unaware that several specialist procedures can now be performed locally, with surgery costs ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 depending on the treatment.