Hospital with 50 beds, No Specialist, Patients Troubled

  April 11, 2023 By: INSEC

Due to the lack of specialist doctors in the district hospital, the patients feel troubled. Dhruv Prasad Sharma of Bheri Municipality-13 Kudu went to District Hospital Khalanga for treatment due to a stomach problem. However, due to the lack of a specialist doctor in the hospital, he could not be treated, so instead had to travel to Mission Hospital, Rukum West, Chaurjahari for treatment.

Dhruv Prasad Sharma says there is a compulsion for patients like him to go to private hospitals and spend excessive money on minor health problems.

Navraj Kandel, head of the District Hospital, said that the 50-bed district hospital has the post of seven specialist doctors including the head of the office, but not a single specialist doctor has been assigned to the post yet. In the absence of specialist doctors, patients are forced to go to Kohalpur, Nepalganj, Surkhet, or Kathmandu for treatment.

The Council of Ministers of the Government of Nepal decided to make the district hospital a 50-bed hospital on 9th October 2015, and according to that, the construction of the physical structure of the 50-bed hospital has reached its final stage, but the doctors of the hospital have not yet come to the district.

Kandel, head of the district health office, said that the hospital is in need of gynecology and pediatrics specialists, however, due to the lack of physical infrastructure including accommodation for doctors specialists doctors refuse to work for the hospital.

Similarly, Rajendra Bikram Shah, the leader of the Civil Society and Human Rights Defender Network, Jajarkot, put out an important question regarding effective solutions to convince specialist doctors to work for the hospital.

Kandel, the head of the hospital, said that despite having the posts of seven specialist doctors including pediatrics, gynecology, bone and joint disease, radiography, and obstetrics, the district hospital is currently employing  MBBS doctors on contract.

Dr. Avasar Singh Rathore says that if specialist doctors work in the district, the residents of the district will not have to travel outside the district for treatment. Rathore said – ‘ The state government has created a District Health Service Office by merging public health posts and hospitals in one place, but unless there is skilled manpower, it is difficult for the people to get effective and accessible services .’


Dinesh Kumar Shrestha