The video X-ray service at Parbat Hospital has been adversely affected due to a shortage of staff, causing inconvenience to clients. Savitra B.K., a 30-year-old resident of Falevas Municipality-1 Karkineta, visited Parbat Hospital on June 27 at 11 am for a video X-ray related to the uterine examination. However, she was informed by the nurses that the service was unavailable, leaving her disappointed. Expressing her dismay, she said, “I came to the district hospital seeking good-quality service, but now the video X-ray service is closed, and I don’t know where else to go for an X-ray.”
Savitra is not alone in facing this predicament. Several individuals who came to Parbat Hospital seeking video X-ray services have experienced similar disappointments. The citizens of Parbat are encountering difficulties due to the unavailability of the video X-ray service caused by the lack of manpower. Sunita Sharma, a 35-year-old resident of Kushma Municipality-12, shared her experience of having to pay a higher cost at a private clinic for video X-ray services after they were discontinued at the hospital.
To cope with the shortage of manpower, Parbat Hospital has reduced the video X-ray service to only two days per week since June 19. The hospital administration has issued a notification stating that the service will be available on Mondays and Thursdays only. Moreover, the video X-ray service is limited to pregnant women and emergency patients.
Shankar Giri, the chairperson of the Parbat Hospital Management Committee, explained that the discontinuation of the video X-ray service was due to the lack of staff. He mentioned that the hospital had an MDGP doctor responsible for the video X-ray service, but the doctor was transferred to Baglung, leading to the current problem. Mr. Giri added that he has reached out to various agencies, including the provincial government, to draw attention to the challenges faced by the hospital in the mountainous region. Once the staffing issue is resolved, regular services will be reinstated for all patients.