Locals protest decision to scrap hospital

Damauli, January 15

Locals from Khairenitar and Dulegauda have protested the incumbent government’s decision to scrap Girija Prasad Koirala National Centre for Respiratory Diseases in Dulegauda Belauri Chautaro of Suklagandaki Municipality, Tanahun.

Gandaki Province chapter of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice-chair Krishnaraj Pandit said the hospital should not be scrapped at any cost. “Preparations were on to turn the hospital into a medical college. We are taken aback by the government decision,” he said.

Dulegauda Market Unit President Raj Kumar Wagle said a hospital providing service to poor and backward people should not be scrapped at any cost. Khairenitar’s businessman Hari Bahadur Thapa said the decision to scrap the GP Koirala National Centre for Respiratory Diseases was unacceptable.

Civil society seniors of Khairenitar and Dulegauda said they would be compelled to resort to agitation if efforts were made to scrap the hospital.

Suklagandaki Municipality Mayor Kishan Gurung said the hospital would not be scrapped at any rate.

Nepali Congress Tanahun President Baikuntha Neupane said scrapping a hospital named after GP Koirala, who played a lead role in Nepal’s peace process, was unacceptable. Hospital Chief Dr Ram Kumar Shrestha said the government decision had disappointed them.

It is learnt that the health ministry is preparing to scrap the hospital after the Cabinet meeting held two days ago did not form the Hospital Development Committee.

The government decision has saddened Tanahun locals.

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