Rolpa, September 4:

With 26 health posts and sub-health posts remaining without assistant health workers in Rolpa district for a long time, patients have been badly hit.

A total of 59 quotas of health workers in various health institutions are unoccupied

for a long time. Twenty health posts and sub-health posts are without assistant

health workers, the Rolpa District Public Health Office (DPHO) said.

Posts of assistant health worker in the sub-health posts in Aresh, Oat, Uwa, Kereti,

Kotgaun, Gam, Nuwgaun, Jhenam, Talawang, Mirul, Rangkot, Serem and Sirpa VDCs have been lying vacant, said Krishna Prasad Gautam, a DPHO official. Vacancies of a medical officer, a non-gazetted officer, a lab assistant and an office assistant are unfilled in the District Hospital, Gautam said.

Similarly, in Sulichaur Primary Health Post, posts of medical officer, a staff nurse, one assistant health worker and one assistant mid-wife are lying vacant, Gautam said. Posts of medical officer and assistant account in Holeri Primary Health Centre are also vacant for a long time.

The posts of an assistant mid-wife and a rural health worker are vacant in health posts in Jinawang and Thawang, the DPHO said.

The sub-health posts in Oresh, Oat, Kereti, Ghartigaun, Jankot, Pachhawang, Phagam, Bhawang, Mirul and Rangsi VDCs are without rural health worker. “It is unfortunate to have the posts of 26 assistant health workers lying vacant though there are 40 sub-health posts in the district,” Ghanshyam Acharya, a human rights activist said.

Even those present health workers are not found attending patients. Locals whine that the assistant health workers working in the sub-health posts are irregular. Most of the public heath institutions are being run by office assistants since a long time.

Locals also complained that some of the health workers carry out their duties under the influence of alcohol.