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Due to a lack of human resources at Bardiya Hospital, the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services cannot be operated, causing patient distress. These services, established with an investment of approximately Rs. 25 million, remain non-functional due to staffing shortages, creating significant difficulties for those needing critical care. In Gulariya Municipality-8, 82-year-old Narbahadur Gurung’s health has deteriorated, and he now requires home oxygen support. His son, Narayan Gurung, explained that financial constraints have prevented them from taking him to the hospital for further treatment. He said that if the HDU and ICU services were operational at Bardiya Hospital, we could have admitted my father there. However, we were informed that there are no ICU beds available. As a result, we are keeping him at home with oxygen, which we bring from Nepalgunj every few days. It would have been much easier if the HDU and ICU services were functioning at Bardiya Hospital.

Basudev Lamsal from Gulariya Municipality-4 expressed that although the infrastructure for the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been established at the hospital, the lack of operational services compels seriously ill patients to seek treatment elsewhere. He stated, “When the HDU and ICU structures were completed, we thought we would be able to access services from our community.” He added, However, since these services are not operational, they are forced to go to Nepalgunj, Kohalpur, or Kathmandu. If the HDU and ICU services could be made operational, it would greatly ease the situation in Bardiya. Local Dammar Pariyar from Taduwa, Gulariya Municipality-12, said it’s important to stop transferring patients from the ICU at Bardiya Hospital to other places because the HDU and ICU are not running. He said, ‘The infrastructure has been built with an investment of millions of rupees. However, due to a lack of manpower, the HDU and ICU services have not been able to operate. Immediate management of personnel is needed to run the HDU and ICU without such negligence in the healthcare sector.

After the rise in COVID-19 infections, local authorities, along with the hospital’s investment, prepared the infrastructure for a 25-bed High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). However, due to a lack of human resources, these services have not been operational for over three years. As a result, patients requiring treatment in the HDU and ICU are forced to seek care elsewhere. Patients from Rajapur Municipality, Geruwa Municipality, Madhuban Municipality, Gulariya Municipality, and Badayatol Municipality frequently visit the hospital for treatment. However, the absence of necessary HDU and ICU services for critically ill patients compels them to take risks by seeking treatment in other facilities. According to statistics from Bardiya Hospital over the past four years, the number of patients has increased significantly. In the current financial year 2023/24, 119,496 people have received treatment services, compared to 115,718 in the previous financial year 2022/23. Similarly, in the financial year 2021/22, 107,478 patients were treated, while in 2020/21, the number was 45,996, as reported by Keshab Neupane, the medical records and information officer at Bardiya Hospital. The chief senior medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Subhash Pandey, stated that although there are 59 positions available at the hospital, only 23 are currently filled. He mentioned that to provide additional services, 15 to 20 medical officers and 40 nursing staff are needed. Dr. Pandey noted that the leaders responsible for managing the hospital have not understood that it is meant for the community, which has created problems. Dr. Pandey additionally called for proper management of personnel based on the current population ratio and the number of service users. Keshab Neupane, the information officer at Bardiya Hospital, mentioned that although the entire infrastructure for HDU and ICU services is ready, they cannot be operational due to a shortage of staff. He stated that the HDU and ICU services need to be available 24/7. There is a lack of manpower in the hospital, and the resources are insufficient for this operation. If the province or local government can manage the personnel, the services can be initiated.

The daily services provided by the hospital include outpatient department (OPD) care, emergency care, surgical OPD/endoscopy, physiotherapy, pediatrics, surgery, orthopedics, and dialysis.

 

 

Prakash Paudel