KATHMANDU, April 27

The major hospitals have not been able to provide effective treatment to disaster victims due to shortage of medicine and other facilities.

Hira Devi Maharjan, 71, of Bhurungkhel has been admitted to Kathmandu Model Hospital of Pradarshanimarga for treatment of her fractured leg. Yesterday, she paid Rs 2,230 for blood sampling and X-Ray and was kept in Fun Park until rainfall at around 11:00pm.

“I was told that I would receive free medical treatment for injury as it was caused by the earthquake, but had to pay money for medical check-up. Thankfully, I was not asked any money for treatment today. They changed my bed frequently,” she said.

The hospitals are facing problems due to lack of medicine, facilities, operating rooms, toilets and equipment for treatment of earthquake, landslide and avalanche victims.

The treatment is managed with internal resources, but there is acute shortage of beds and medicine. Patients have been transferred from one hospital to another.

Trauma Centre near Bir Hospital is crowded with seriously injured victims. Tina Shrestha, 31 of Balaju who has backbone injury said, “The doctors were able to provide only some of the medicine prescribed by the doctor.”

Dr Anil Shrestha, URO surgeon in Trauma Centre informed all the beds in the hospital are occupied with the inflow of 300 patients every two hours. The operating rooms are all occupied.

“Patients have to be shifted frequently to give turns to others. The manpower is enough to provide service to patients, but medicines, bed, operating rooms and toilets are not sufficient,” he said.

It is difficult to quickly diagnose disaster victims. The number of patients’ inflow is yet to be ascertained. “We have been working round-the-clock without rest due to the pressure of inflow of disaster victims. We can’t delay treatment as the seriously injured patients are at risk of losing their lives,” he added.

Sonam Sherpa, 24, and his cousin Tsering Tamang, 16, had been air-lifted to Trauma Centre from Langtang after Saturday's landslide.

Sherpa's right leg had been fractured while his cousin had deep wounds in her legs, head and shoulders. They were kept in a wheelchair and then the floor of the emergency ward due to lack of beds.Tamang was screaming on the top of her voice due to pain.

Patients at Norvic Hospital were not allowed to talk to journalists.

Sumitra Chalise of Ramkot carried her two daughters Sandhya, 15, and Samikshya 19, to different hospitals, including Manmohan Hospital in Swoyambhu, Neuro Hospital Bansbari and Norvic Hospital where she was forced to pay all the medical fees. She was also told that there was shortage of necessary materials for treatment. Sandhya was finally brought to Trauma Centre for operation.

Krishna Prasad Sharma of Baglung, who was receiving treatment after being seriously injured when Dharahara collapsed, was forced to pay for medicine during his treatment.