Birgunj, October 22:

Owing to the absence of doctors, a privately run Shiva hospital has been closed since Friday.

Shrihari Paudel of the hospital said the hospital had been closed after the doctors went on Dashain vacation. He said a final decision regarding the operation of the hospital will be made once the administrator of the hospital, cardiologist Dr Sashi Acharya, returns from Kathmandu.

But the administrative officials have said the administration had closed the hospital citing some internal reasons.

The hospital has been popular for its cardiology and maternity services. It is one of the most popular privately-run 50-bed hospitals.

Founder of the hospital Dr Madhusudan Acharya died last year. The hospital has 60 staffers, including doctors and technicians.

The Intensive Care Unit service in the Narayani sub-regional hospital has remained closed

since Saturday.

The ICU service was closed after Dr Sushil Chaudhary, Dr Arun Kumar Jha and Dr Birendra Pradhan of the ICU service management committee went on leave, informed Dr Niraj Singh, a member of the hospital management committee.

In Birgunj, there is only one hospital with ICU service and the patients are compelled to go

to Kathmandu and India for treatment due to shortage of beds.

Doctors and specialists have been leaving Birgunj as criminal gangs seek huge amounts

of money from them, said secretary of the Nepal Doctor’s Association (Narayani chapter) Dr Niraj Singh. He urged the political parties and the people to make efforts to create a favourable working environment.