POKHARA, Oct 31: Patients visiting the regional hospital in Pohara have been affected by chaos and mismanagement of the government-run hospital in the capital of Province 4.
Majority of patients complain that health insurance package, lab facilities, token system for registration, security of property belonging to patients' caregivers, and crowd remain unmanaged at the hospital. As many as 43 patients shared their grievances against the hospital management. 

Asman Gurung of Hemja-25 expressed his reservations over not getting facilities of health insurance. “Though I have bought health insurance policy as per the government rules, I did not get facilities from the hospital,” said Gurung, who visited the hospital on Monday. 
“They send me to private pharmacies for buying medicines although they should have provided the medicines at the hospital free of cost as per the insurance policy.”

Shree Nath Baral from Syangja-1, Arukharka said that doctors were not available in the Out Patient Department. “Majority of doctors go to private clinics even in duty hours,” said Baral. “They seem to examine the patients only in private clinics,” he added. “We have to wait for six months for a surgery.”

Ramila Adhikari of Puranchaur said that doctors leave the hospital at 2 pm. “They should stay till 4 pm at the hospital,” she said.

Buddhinath Timilsina of Majhthana said that there wasn't any systematic facility for ticket at the hospital. “We have to stay in long queue for hours,” he said. “The hospital should increase the number of ticket counters to manage the crowd,” he said, adding that trolleys meant for emergency patients were damaged due to lack of maintenance.
Sapana Timilsina of Hospital Chowk said that it takes long time to get tickets although the token system is in practice. Roshan Ale of Harinath, Syangja said that there isn't any bench for those accompanying the patients.

Yadav Adhikari of Dhikurpokhari said that he was forced to buy a medicine worth Rs 70 at the cost of Rs 300 in the pharmacy located on hospital premises. 
The hospital neither has inquiry desk nor does it properly manage and repair medical equipment. 

“CT scan has been dysfunctional for the last two months while DR X-ray machine was damaged a year ago but is yet to be repaired,” said Bhanu Parajuli, program officer of Transparency International, which organized the program to share complains.

Arjun Acharya, director of the Pokhara-based hospital, said that it will take time to repair the damaged medical equipment. “The cost of repairing the X-ray machine is Rs 2 million. We have asked the Department of Health Services for it,” he said. “We are planning to purchase medicines for health insurance packages through bidding process,” he added. “We are installing CCTV cameras to control theft in hospital.”

 
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