JUMLA, July 3: Acting against its own letter to the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences (KIHS) issued yesterday, the District Administration Office (DAO), Jumla has barred the medical college not to provide treatment inside of the hospital.
Yesterday, DAO-Jumla wrote a letter to KIHS to provide best possible health treatment to senior orthopedic surgeon Dr. Govinda KC after his health conditions deteriorated. KC is in Jumla where he’s staging his 15th fast-unto-death hunger strike.
Instead, the DAO has asked the hospital’s staffers to provide treatment only where KC is staging the protest under police supervision in a covered hall of the District Sports Committee. The hall is damp and lacks basic facilities including electricity and water.
Comedy of errors
“No one has come to check on his deteriorating health condition,” Kishor KC, Dr. KC’s brother said adding that the social crusader was unable to speak.
Meanwhile, KIHS medical team said that it was impossible to bring necessary equipment at the covered hall and the only way to treat ailing KC was to bring him inside the hospital.
Dr KC arrived in Jumla on Friday and he was arrested on Saturday afternoon while staging a protest in front of Jumla District Administration Office (DAO). He was arrested on the ground that protests could not be staged in a prohibited zone. Hours before KC was to start his protest, the DAO had issued a public notice banning any kind of strike including hunger strike, agitation or demonstration within 200 meters of the DAO, the district police office and the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences (KIHS).
Tek Bahadur Budha Thapa, Assistant Chief District Officer said that it was impossible to treat Dr. KC’s health due to limited facilities. “Hence, the best thing to do is to send him to Kathmandu for further treatment.” He added that they had already sent a letter to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for the same.
Apart from emergency services, KIHS has halted all of its services, according to Prabin Kumar Giri, Vice Chairperson of Nepal Medical Association.
Health workers of KIHS halting hospital services and supporting Dr.KC.
