DOLAKHA, Sept 30: Many patients who had reached Charikot, the district headquarters of Dolakha, for treatment were deprived of treatment as the Charikot Hospital remained closed due to 'hooliganism by locals' over the death of a baby during treatment. Even emergency services were halted on Thursday.
A two-and- a-half-year-old baby, who was admitted to the hospital on Friday, died the next day. Following the incident, relatives of the child began threatening the doctors by picketing the hospital, according to the hospital.
Later, the relatives forced the doctors to admit that it was their negligence. The local administration also asked the doctors to apologize after they failed to convince the crowd.
A team representing Government Doctors' Association of Nepal (GODAN) and Nepal Medical Association (NMA) had been to Charikot to assess the situation. The team decided to recall the doctors to Kathmandu. Following the decision, Dr Meena Maharjan and Dr Sudip GC left the district on Wednesday while the other doctors Roshan Thapa, Richan Jirel and Shradda Acharya left the district on Thursday. Another doctor Binod
Dangal is on leave. As a result, no doctor is in duty at the hospital.
Health organizations including GODAN and NMA have put three-point demand to resume the services, according to Busan Prasain, Dolakha district director of Possible Health Nepal, a non-profit organization working on public health issues.
Doctors have demanded departmental action against the Acting Chief District Officer (CDO) who pressed them to apologize to the public for the death of the child.
“We condemn the act of local administration to make doctor apologize in front of a mob after it failed to control them,” reads a statement by the GODAN.
Questioning the safety of the doctors, the organization has said that health professionals cannot deliver their services due to safety issue and mental pressure. We have concluded that all health professionals should be rescued and pulled out from the district, the statement reads.
Similarly, health professionals have also demanded stringent action against those who were involved in abusing doctors and other health professionals.
A video that went viral on social media appears to show doctors at the hospital lined up in a row with their palms folded together to apologize before the public for the death of the child.
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The hospital running under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model has been providing service to around 400 patients daily. A Primary Health Post was converted into the well-equipped hospital since January after the government and Nyay Health signed an agreement to run it under PPP model. The hospital has been recently leased to Possible Health Nepal, a non-government organization, which has been lauded for its work in Achham district by running Bayalpata Hospital.
