Sarlahi hospital shut since Tuesday

Sarlahi, November 10:

Patients here are having a tough time as the emergency unit and other wings of the Sarlahi district hospital is shut down since Tuesday after students vandalised the hospital.

Three snakebitten persons, including Sunaina Devi Mandal of Ramwan VDC-8, died due to the closure of the hospital, said chairperson of the Nepal Health Technicians’ Association (Sarlahi), Arun Kumar Mahato, adding that the hospital should be reopened and security of the health workers should be guaranteed at the earliest.

Sarlahi Campus students, alleging that a lecturer Ram Ekwal Raya died due to the carelessness of the hospital workers, went on the rampage and vandalised the hospital.

Raya was brought to the hospital after he was injured in an accident.

Patients already admitted in the hospital were forced to leave as the doctors did not treat them. Saying that all the services in the hospital are closed since Tuesday, chairperson of the hospital management committee Achyutam Kafle said, “Attempts are being made to reopen the hospital.”

Health workers of the hospital continue to remain underground for fear of the angry students. Till today, no health worker had come in contact with the hospital management, said senior public health officer Raj Kishor Pandit.

Acting Chief District Officer Narayanraj Timalsina said that the emergency unit would be operated for the time being.

Persons falling sick all of sudden are deprived of treatment due to the closure of the emergency service in the hospital, said advocate Umesh Chandra Jha.

Twenty kala-azar patients who were undergoing treatment after admission in the hospital had to return home, said lab technician Prabhu Pandit, adding that nearly 100 patients everyday are being denied treatment.

Patients Sita Devi Yadav of Kaudena VDC, Dinesh Mahato of Mohanpur VDC-5 and Manju Kumari Raya of Manangwa-10 were forced to go back as the hospital was closed, said a police constable on duty at the hospital, Parshuram Sapkota.