Closure of OPD services has been affecting 300 to 400 service seekers on a daily basis

Kathmandu, June 19

Out-patient services in Bhaktapur Hospital remained closed for the second day today, due to employees’ protest, affecting patients seeking health services.

The hospital employees resorted to protests after the management decided to withhold employee benefits. Agitating employees have been demanding benefits such as provident fund, dearness allowance and uniform allowance.

“We had been providing benefits to our staffers from the income being generated by the hospital. The hospital is now under the jurisdiction of the province. Ministry of Social Development of Province 3 has directed us not to provide any benefits to the staffers until further notice,” said Sudha Devkota, a medical superintendent at the hospital.

The hospital stopped providing benefits to its employees after the Hospital Development Committee was sacked last year.

“We have been protesting for the past one year afterthe hospital stopped providing us dearness allowance and provident fund. We decided to halt the service as repeated talks with the management failed,” said one of the hospital staffers on condition of anonymity.

A committee has been formed by the Ministry of Social Development of Province 3 to probe into the matter.

The hospital provides services to around 300 to 400 patients on a daily basis.