Two years ago the health ministry ordered Dr Mukesh Chaurasia from Birjung sub regional hospital to the zonal hospital. A month ago the ministry ordered another doctor Roshan Acharya to join the hospital. But none of them have heeded the ministry´s transfer orders. [break]
While Churasia is busy running his private clinic in Birgunj, Acharya is no longer serious about his duties. As people like Chaurasia and Acharya disobey the ministry, people visiting the biggest hospital in Koshi zone are deprived of most basic ENT services.
“Those who can afford go to nursing homes or teaching hospitals. Only the poor come here and they have no choice but to return without treatment as the hospital is not providing ENT service,” said Dr Sudhir Sharma of the hosptial. “It is all due to the negligence of the administration and the health ministry as well.”
According to him, there is quota of only two doctors in the ENT department of the hospital and their presence would make all the difference. “However, it has been three years since there has been a doctor in the department,” he added.
Narayan Dahal, public relation officer at Nobel Medical Hospital in Biratnagar said ENT services at private clinics and hospitals are expensive while the same service at the zonal hospital costs as little as Rs 10. “The poor people simply cannot afford to get treated at private hospitals,” he said.
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