Siraha, December 15:

A 10-year-old child, who was stricken with dysentery, succumbed last night to the disease for want of timely medical treatment as health workers throughout the district shut down all services demanding security.

“I took my son Jito Sada to several clinics and medical centres, but nothing could be done as health workers were on strike,” said Joginder Sada, father of the child, of Siraha-2.

Health workers went into strike mode after the relatives of Rohit Kumar Yadav, 7, of Siraha-2, who had been trampled by a bull, died on Thursday in the emergency ward of the Siraha Hospital for want of timely treatment, went on a rampage and vandalised the ward and senior medical superintendent Dr Raj Kumar Chaudhari’s clinic.

The Siraha chapter of the Nepal Health Workers’ Union and district public office health workers shut down all medical services throughout the district yesterday, demanding action against those involved in the rampage and compensation for the hospital’s damaged property.

The Siraha district public health office said property worth Rs 7 lakh was damaged in the rampage. Other patients housed in the emergency ward of the hospital fled when the rampage started. Hospital sources said that these patients were yet to contact the hospital.

Meanwhile, health workers resumed emergency services in the district hospital at 2 pm after the district administration and police assured of providing them security and bringing the guilty to book. NHWU Siraha president Ram Sewak Roy said patients have started coming again to the emergency ward.