PARBAT, Sept 10: The Mission Hospital here has remained closed for around two decades. Established in 2050 BS at Paiyu Rural Municipality-4 in the district with the aim of providing health services to the people of rural areas in the district in particular, the health facility was closed citing insecurity during the Maoist insurgency, it has been said.

However, no efforts have been made on the part of concerned authorities to resume the hospital despite repeated calls from the local people in this regard, said the local people.

The hospital building was constructed on 15 ropanis of land with an investment of Rs 15 million provided by an international non-governmental organization. The hospital provided all sorts of health services including specialist healthcare and surgery, benefiting people from Parbat, Syangja and Gulmi districts. It then had two doctors from the United States and four Nepali doctors. Without operation for a long time, four buildings of the hospital and furniture have been dilapidated.

The roofs are leaking after the tiles were broken and dislodged. The hospital buildings will be completely damaged without repair on time, said Ganga Neupane, former registrar of the hospital. "The US Government called back all doctors working for the hospital during the conflict. The health facility remains closed since they left," he said.

The closure of the hospital has affected local people as the government has been ignorant in its operation, said a local social worker Lal Bahadur Pradhan. "After the hospital was closed, local patients were forced to visit places like Pokhara, Syangja, Butwal, Palpa and Bhairahawa for treatment," he said.

The health facility would receive from 50 to 100 patients on a daily basis.

Another local Anita Sharma accused the local government of being apathetic to run the hospital. "We have urged all concerned to run the health facility. But none showed concerns to this effect," said Mitra Lal Bashyal, a member of the Gandaki Province Assembly.

 
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