Chitwan, February 25

About three months ago authorities in Chitwan agreed on a policy that gave first preference to government hospitals for treatment of accident victims. However, the policy has not come into effect due to reservations on the part of transportation entrepreneurs.

Reportedly, the policy has hit a snag due to commissions offered by private hospitals and medical colleges to ambulance drivers and transportation entrepreneurs, who take accident victims to private health facilities for treatment.

Earlier, Bharatpur Hospital Development Committee had held a meeting with transport entrepreneurs of the district and pledged to render quality service in the treatment of accident injured. “Our hospital is on a par with any private hospital and we had asked the entrepreneurs to approach us with those injured in accidents,” said Dr Rudra Marasini, medical superintendent at Bharatpur Hospital.

Transport entrepreneurs had inquired if the hospital would provide inflated bills for treatment expenses. “As the hospital refused to do so, transport entrepreneurs turned to private hospitals where inflated bills were provided,” Marasini added.

On his part, Nepal Transportation National Entrepreneurs Federation Vice-chairperson Ram Prasad Subedi admitted that entrepreneurs had sought inflated bills of treatment expenses of accident injured.