Himalayan News Service

Phidim, April 25:

Panchthar district hospital is yet to get two doctors for the last two years and patients, especially those injured in accidents, are forced to suffer until they can reach another medical centre. Even routine procedures like post-mortem have to be put on the backburner for want of medicos.

One doctor, Kedar Prasad Sincheuri, was transferred and his replacement has not been sent. Likewise, another medico, Tank Barakoti, is on study leave. His post too remains vacant.

The sole doctor at the hospital, Manoj Kumar Shah, stays busy attending seminars and workshops. As a result, he is hardly available for treating patients.

In the absence of doctors, patients have to be treated by on-call health assistants and other junior staff from the sub-health posts and area health posts, said Ishwari Adhikari, administrative officer at the district public health office.

Adhikari added that last week Dr Shah had gone away for a training, and post-mortem could not be carried out on the bodies of Prem Tamang and Ramchandra Poudel. Tamang, 13, had died of a fall from a truck while Poudel, 45, died after falling off a hillock.