No ambulance in Rukum hospital for a week

RUKUM, June 19: The ambulance of District Hospital Rukum carries health workers more often than patients. A week ago, an ambulance (Ra 1 Ta 295) left for Nepalgunj with the hospital´s chief Dr Binod Giri and others and is yet to return.



The ambulance was donated by the Indian Embassy five years ago.[break]

 

With the ambulance used by health professionals, patients are often deprived of emergency shuttling service. The patients usually have to be carried on wicker baskets to the hospital.



There are just two ambulances in the district, including one belonging to Nepal Red Cross Society.  Right now, even the Red Cross ambulance is in Dang, adding to the plight of patients in the district.



Dhanbir Oli, chairman of the Hospital Development Committee, claimed the hospital´s ambulance had to be taken to Nepalgunj due to an emergency. “Airplanes did not arrive. Public vehicles were not found. So they left in the ambulance,” he said, adding that the hospital does not have any other vehicle.  



Dr Giri left for Nepalgunj just 15 days after the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health issued directives barring doctors from leaving their stations for three months in view of a possible diarrhea outbreak.



A hospital source said the health professionals left for Nepalgunj saying they needed to bring in additional health workers and medicine to implement the Integrated Public Health Campaign. 

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