No treatment option for severe ailments in Province 7

DHANGADHI, Aug 3: Bishwanath Ojha of Attariya in Kailali district took his father to Seti Zonal Hospital for treatment on April 10. His father, a patient of a cardiovascular ailment, could not receive appropriate treatment and was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital's emergency department. He died four days later.Ram Bahadur Bhul had also brought his father to the Dhangadhi-based zonal hospital.

As his father too had a heart ailment for which the hospital does not have any specialized doctor, yet another patient lost his life untimely. These are only the representative cases. There are hundreds of others who have lost their lives untimely due to the lack of specialized hospital and doctors in Province 7. Patients of heart attack, cancer, and those with severe head injuries among others have nowhere to turn to for treatment in the province.“Residents of the province are surviving on faith. We have to pray that we don't get ailments of severe nature. If we do, we'd die untimely deaths due to the lack of treatment options in the province,” said Kishor Joshi, a local of Dhangadhi.In the last fiscal year, 77 patients visited Seti Hospital for treatment of heart attack.

As many as 12 people among them died in the hospital due to the lack of proper treatment. Most of patients with severe ailments are referred to health institutes outside the province but not many can afford such expensive treatment.“I took a big loan with hefty interest so that I could admit my father to the ICU. But it didn't work despite the ICU facilities because the hospital lacks specialized doctors for such treatment,” said Ojha, who is still mourning his father's death.

He suggested that the hospital should make efforts to bring specialized doctors at the earliest. “Many have lost their lives due to the lack of specialized doctors. We hope the government will resolve the problem soon.”Ganesh Saud of Doti recently had to reserve an ambulance to take his heart-patient father to Nepalgunj for treatment after his treatment was not possible in his district. The ambulance cost alone accounted for Rs 50,000.            

“If I hadn't done that, my father would have died at the zonal hospital. Had there been specialized medical services in Dhangadhi, I would have saved the transportation cost. But without specialized doctors, service seekers are facing lots of difficulties,” he said.

 
• lack
 
• specialized
 
• doctors
 
• causing
 
• untimely
 
• deaths