Hospital strike claims woman’s life

Lamjung, July 17:

Thirty-five-year-old Manmaya Tamang of Dhodheni in Lamjung district, who was brought to a community hospital, died today due to lack treatment, as the hospital has been closed since Sunday following the hospital workers’ agitation.

Sources at the Lamjung community hospital, however, claimed that the workers stopped their agitation and did whatever they could for her, but she died as she was brought there too late.

Since Sunday, the hospital staffers have stopped work. Led by the Hospital Workers’ Struggle Committee (HWSC), they have been demanding that the Ministry of Health and Population should desist from making it a government hospital. They are want it to remain a community hospital.

HWSC coordinator Hari Parajuli warned that they would halt the hospital’s service and the agitation will continue until their demand was fulfilled.

The workers have padlocked the hospital’s gate and staged a sit-in. They have also urged the locals to support their demand.

Coordinator of Save the Hospital Struggle Committee Khemjung Gurung told this daily that in a view of the dreadful state of government hospitals, they did not want theirs to be converted into one.

All 55 beds in the hospital are lying vacant due to the workers’ agitation.