Similarly, anesthesiologist Abhaya Pokhrel returned to Kathmandu to work on deputation at Bir Hospital after just a week at DZH. With Pokhrel"s departure, there is no one here to administer anesthesia to patients needing surgery. [break]
People coming to the hospital are affected by the lack of doctors. The hospital has posts for 20 doctors but is run by just two doctors at present, medical superintendent Dr Tarun Poudel and Dr Kishna Bhatta. Six experts posted to the hospital have gone elsewhere on deputation.
“Doctors transferred to the hospital come armed with the order for their deputation elsewhere. Laxity on the part of the Health Department in monitoring such anomalies is to blame,” said Krishna KC, chairman at DZH.
DZH pediatrician Dr Hom Prasad Neupane and consultant physician Dr Bimal Chalise have also gone to Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara on deputation. Chairman KC informed that DZH has been pressing the doctors to return to their original postings, but in vain.
“We even stopped their salary as they did not come to DZH,” said KC.
“In the absence of the doctors, we are forced to rely on MBBS students coming for on-job training,” he said, further informing that over a dozen positions for doctors and medical experts have fallen vacant, apart from those who have gone away on deputation.
The 15-bed hospital was upgraded to 50 beds, but because of the lack of doctors it is yet to provide effective services.
According to Dr Poudel, the hospital has not been able to operated an Intensive Care Unit due to lack of the necessary doctors and experts. “We have undertaken hospital expansion but now face a lack of human resources,” he added.
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