Sindhupalchowk, May 25:

As many as 100 patients in Sindhupalchowk District Hospital have been waiting for more than a week for treatmentfor want of doctors in the hospital.

Hinge Tamang, who came from Syauley for heart treatment, grumbled that he had not seen a doctor for the last five days. “The hospital staff said a doctor would come today, but there is no sign of him,” he said.

CPN-Maoist District in-Charge, Dhruva Parajuli, who brought his son to the hospital for a typhoid case, also returned disappointed. The hospital has a quota of three doctors but all of them are away. Hospital staff said Medical Superintendent Dr Nandalal Sikarmi was away to Kathmandu to attend a training course.

Assistant Health Worker Hemant Shrestha said Dr Sikarmi had deputed Dr Saroj Sharma to do his job before leaving, adding that the latter also left for Kathmandu immediately after.

According to the hospital staff, Jwala Thapa, another doctor in the hospital, was on leave, too. They accused the doctors of trying to get themselves plum postings. AHW Shrestha said he was acting as medical superintendent in their absence. Shrestha said he was treating minor cases, but added, there was nothing he could do for complicated cases.

Assistant CDO Birendra Baniya agreed that work at the hospital had been hit by the absence of doctors.