GAIGHAT, UDAYAPUR: Patients visiting the District Hospital, Udayapur based in Bokse, have been deprived of the services as hospital doctors are on the Dashain leave for over a week.

Hospital Chief Dr Mahesh Khanal, gynaecologist Dr Phadindra Badal and Dr Amitabh Thakur who took the Dashain leave a week ago are yet to return to work. At this backdrop, patients are compelled to travel outside the district in search of treatment, service seekers and locals complained.

There is a provision that internal arrangements be in place so that service delivery at the sensitive areas like hospital and security remain unaffected during festivals.

According to local Mohan Basnet, maternity services at the hospital have remained completely closed throughout the Dashain festival.

One Ambar Bahadur Magar of Saune, Triyuga Municipality- 15 said he recently took his family member to the hospital for delivery, but none was there to render services. At such emergency time, we had no other option except rushing her to the Siraha-based private hospital by spending over Rs 50 thousands, he shared the compulsion.

Only employees of assistant levels are currently available at the hospital. They said they were informed by the upper level that doctors would return to duty only after the Dashain festival.

Concern of the locals are that hospital senior staffers on the Dashain leave without internal arrangements compelled them to rush outside the district —Biratnagar or Lahan or Dharan — in emergency.