Dhankuta, March 19

Dhankuta District Hospital has become a centre for referring patients to other health facilities due to lack of expert doctors. The hospital referred most patients to other health facilities following the same.

Intern doctors at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences have been providing  health service to patients even though the hospital has five expert doctors’ quota.

Chief at the district hospital Pujan Bishwokarma said the hospital was compelled to refer even minor cases to other health facilities in Morang and Sunsari for treatment due to lack of doctors in the district hospital.

A staff at the hospital said that as many as 60 patients from Sankkuwasabha, Dhankuta, Tehrathum and Bhojpur reached the district hospital for treatment on a daily basis. “But around 70 per cent patients have been referred to other hospitals after the administration could not manage doctors,” he added. He informed that video x-ray, ICU and surgery, among other health services, had been badly been affected due to this reason.

Chandra Shrestha, a local, said the hospital lacked equipment. He said even the equipment that was there was useless. He said the district hospital has become a referral centre. The locals said patients were compelled to go to outside districts for treatment.

Meanwhile, Hospital Development Committee Chairman Tanka Bahadur Chuwan said the authority concerned did not pay attention even though the hospital had demanded expert doctors as per the quota.