Jajarkot, March 18

Regular services at Jajarkot District Hospital have been affected due to lack of fund and millions of rupees in arrears to health workers in salary and drug suppliers. As per the hospital accounts, it owes 5.8 million rupees.

According to Jajarkot Health Service Office Accountant Prayagdatta Dhital, doctors and health workers are yet to get overtime payment to the tune of 1.3 million rupees for the work they had done two years ago.

Similarly, the hospital has to pay additional 500,000-plus rupees to a contractor that had supplied food to patients at the hospital last year.

Likewise, the hospital owes four million rupees to different medical suppliers. “As we don’t have enough fund, we haven’t been able to clear the debt so far,” said the hospital accountant, adding that the ministry concerned had been informed about the hospital’s condition and asked for fund.

Public Service Office Acting Chief Tikaram Jaisi, on his part, admitted that regular services at the hospital had been affected due to financial crisis.

For want of budget, the hospital has not been able to procure new machines and equipment. Dysfunctional machines and equipment have also not been repaired as the hospital has failed to clear past dues. The hospital that has a total of 65 health workers, including doctors, has just 18 health workers at present.

While parturition-related services have completely halted for the past two months or so after Dr Mahesh Silwal, who had come to the hospital last year as an expert, left the district. Dental services too have been halted for the past five months after Dr Nisha Budhamagar went on maternity leave.

Similarly, the hospital’s pharmacy has run out of the stock of medicines due to lack of fund.