BAJURA: An office assistant has been conducting X-ray test on patients for the past one week at District Public Health Office, Bajura.

Office assistant Dil Bista had been handling the service after radiographer Bolraj Acharya went on leave, Dr Rupchandra Biswokarma, Chief at District Health Office (DHO), Bajura said.

Earlier, radiographer Acharya and his assistant Prabha Bhandari used to provide X-ray service to patients at the health facility. After Bhandari was posted in Darchula as radiographer, Acharya was playing a lone hand.

Dr Durga Maharjan said X-ray done by the office assistant had made the task of diagnosing diseases difficult and that an office assistant does not how to perform X-ray tests effectively.

However, he has been conducting tests on 10 to 20 people a day,” Dr Maharjan added.

Public Health Officer Ramesh Kuwar said an office assistant was not authorised to conduct X-ray test on patients. “We are forced to ask him to do the job for want of qualified manpower,” Kunwar said.

Kunwar further added that his office had informed the concerned agency about the shortage of health personnel at the DHO.