Achham, October 27:

Three government offices in Achham district have been functioning without the chiefs and other staffers, forcing peons to handle the official works.

Some senior staffers, including the chiefs at the District Ayurveda Hospital, the District Land Survey and the Nepal Telecom, Achham branch, had gone home on Dashain leave and they have not joined the offices yet. Due to this, peons have been operating the offices.

“The hospital staffers, who went home for Dashain, have not returned yet. Thus, we have been forced to take care of the patients,” said Lokendra Rokaya, a peon at the ayurveda office. “Four employees, including a kabiraj, a baidhya and an accountant, are still on Dashain leave. It is not clear when they would join the office.”

Two temporary peons and a permanent one have been checking up patients and treating them. “The health institution received the flow of around 50 patients daily and we treat them. Till now not a single patient has returned home without treatment,” he said. “We have been conducting their check-up based on our practical knowledge.”

He said patients suffering from jaundice, asthma, whooping cough, gastritis and other disease

visit the hospital. “All the staffers, including doctors, are still enjoying Dashain leave and they would only join the office after Tihar.”

All the work in the survey office has been affected in the absence of the staffers.