Sarlahi, May 7:

Fourteen medical personnel of Lalbandi VDC-based primary health centre, including Dr Sailendra Sigdel, have remained absent from the centre since Monday, public health inspector of the District Health Office Prabhakar Jha said.

Health services have been hit hard due to the absence of the personnel.

The personnel went into hiding after relatives of a tumour patient, who died after an operation performed by a health worker, demanded compensation.

Buddhamaya Moktan, 65, of Lalbandi VDC-3, who was referred to Kathmandu for further treatment of her head tumour, died after assistant health worker of the centre Chitra Bahadur Katawal operated on her.

Relatives of Moktan have been demanding that the centre pay Rs 50,000 as compensation. Lalbandi VDC has provided Rs 10,000 to the family of the dead.

Public health inspector Prabhakar Jha, who came to Lalbandi from the District Health Office to settle the matter, said he is trying to establish contact with the health workers. We are holding talks with the family of the dead to settle the matter and resume health services, he said.