KHOTANG, Dec 4: An ambulance provided by the Indian government for District Hospital Khotang remained grounded for the past seven months in a garage as patients toiled to reach hospital. 

The ambulance was thrown into the Ratnapark garage at Dikktel in mid May after the roads were obstructed due to monsoon. 

The ambulance driver, Hari Giri, started driving a vehicle belonging to the hospital's administration after which the ambulance could not be brought back into service, Hospital's source said. 

Meanwhile, the patients have been the real ones to suffer after the ambulance went out of service. The villagers have been forced to use traditional hand-woven straw basket and stretchers to hurry the patients to the hospital. 

The Indian government had donated the ambulance to the hospital three years ago to facilitate the patients of the district. District Hospital Khotang's Chief, Dr Ram Bahadur KC, said he was preparing to bring the ambulance back into service. RSS 

 
• khotang
 
• hospital
 
• ambulance
 
• garage
 
• seven
 
• months