Jajarkot, October 4

Lack of specialist doctors in line with quota has adversely affected delivery of health service in Jajarkot.

Dozens of locals have lost their lives for want of quality health service due to lack of specialist doctors in the district. Hundreds of patients are forced to visit Nepalgunj, Surkhet and other places for treatment.

District hospital, primary health centres and health posts are running without doctors. Lack of medicine, medical equipment and physical infrastructure has added to their woes.

Primary health centres in Limsa and Garkhakot have been running without doctors for the past five months. Patients were deprived of treatment after Dr Sandip Kiran Pradhan working at Limsa and Dr Pawan Shakya at Garkhakot left for Kathmandu for study.

According to local Resham Bahadur Shahi, typhoid and fever patients return without treatment while the patients of common ailments have to go outside the district.

It has been three years since the number of beds in the District Hospital was upgraded from 15 to 50. The hospital, however, is in dire need of specialist doctors, medical equipment, infrastructure and blood bank.

Employees at the District Hospital Jajarkot said delivery of health service was hit hard after the Ministry of Health did not deploy doctors and health workers. Chair of Ward No 3 of Bheri Municipality Lila Bahadur Shah said the government had shown apathy towards health service in far-flung areas.

The district hospital has four medical officers including two on contract. The district has quota for nine specialist doctors, four medical officers and 46 assistant level health workers. The hospital, however,does not have any specialist doctor.

According to hospital chief Dr Rajendra Lama, the district hospital has vacancy for chief medical superintendent, paediatrician, gynaecologist, general physician, radiologist, general surgeon, among others. “Lack of doctors has not only affected service delivery but also made it hard to work for us,” said Dr Lama.