Siraha, July 3:

People in 25-odd Siraha village development committees have been deprived of emergency health services due to the lack of health centres in close proximity.

Every year many patients in Bhagawanpur, Inarwa, Tamasuiya and Nahara VDCs, along the 40-km Hulaki road stretching from Balan to Siraha Bazaar, lose lives for not reaching hospital on time.

The nearest hospitals in the district are in Lahan and Siraha bazaar, locals said.

According to Community Medicine Axulliary (CMA) Shivadev Shah, the villagers do not get proper treatment in cases of tetanus, meningitis and other serious diseases that thrive during the monsoon season.

Even women do not get required care during pregnancy and delivery, he said, adding, there were several cases in which patients had died halfway to the hospital. “Since the transport and ambulance services are irregular, we face difficulties in ferrying patients to health care centres,” former president of Kachanari VDC Jabahar Yadav said.

The locals demanded a well-equipped hospital in the area, and criticised the government’s apathy towards their demand.

Lahan is 20 km north, Siraha 25 km west, Rajbiraj 30 km east and India’s Khutauna bazaar 20 km south of the area.