JAJARKOT: Health services at the Garkhakot-based Primary Health Centre have been affected thanks to lack of health workers.

Contrary to the need of the Health Centre, only one staffer has been deputed here since its establishment in 2000/01.

The Centre requires a staff nurse, a health assistant (HA), two assistant health workers (AHWs), three auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and a lab assistant. None of them except a AHW, however, has not been appointed yet.

AHW Bal Bahadur Shahi has been managing the Centre alone to compensate the need.

"It has been a decade since we were told a doctor will join us,” local Ratna Bahadur Shahi of Maip, Gorkhakot-5 said. Shahi also shared that people are compelled to travel to the district headquarters, Khalanga, or even other districts for minor treatments.

One of the reasons the doctors have not joined the Centre is the lack of medical equipment here, acting Chief of the District Health Office, Dr Rajendra GC, stated. Neither physical infrastructures nor other services contribute to solving their problems further, he added.

Though the Public Service Commission has received a number of applications for those positions, the induction of the people in those posts might take time, Dr GC added.