Panchthar, September 4

Health workers in Panchthar have threatened to agitate against attempts to bring a criminal case against their colleagues involved in the treatment of a patient, who died later.

Gita Dewan Seling of Yangbarak Rural Municipality was admitted to Oyam Health Post on Friday for delivery. After she couldn’t deliver her baby for two days, she was then referred to District Hospital, Phidim.

Seling died on the way to the district hospital on Sunday.

“Health workers tried their best to save her, and failing that, referred her to the district hospital. What is wrong in doing that?” asked Health Workers’ Association Panchthar Chairperson Tej Bahadur Tumbapu, adding, they would be compelled to disrupt health services in the entire district if health workers are wrongfully charged with ‘murder’.

According to Yangbarak Rural Municipality Chairperson Lekhnath Ghimire, the situation got worse after the husband of the dead woman prepared to file a case against Assistant Nursing Midwives Barsha Gautam and Sonami Tamang, and health post In-charge Tej Bahadur Shahi, accusing them of negligence and holding them responsible for the death. “We’re trying to resolve the issue through discussion, though nothing has come out of it so far,” he said.