Hospital officials said that they are struggling to feed the patients admitted in the hospital. The government hospitals across the country provide two times meals free of cost to all patients admitted in the hospital.[break]
"We have been requesting contractors not to halt supply of food stuffs," Dr Indra Prasad Prajapati, director of the hospital, said, adding, "We will be compelled to shut down the hospital if the government does not release budget immediately." He said that the government has not released any amount to hospital since the last four months.
"We have to pay money to contractors who supply food, medicines and laboratory materials," complained Dr Prajapati.
The hospital does not have advanced laboratory facility and has been relying on National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL). The hospital said that it has to pay over Rs 2.2 million in debt to NPHL alone.
The hospital said that it has been struggling to arrange food stuffs, medicines and essential equipments to run daily administrative works. "The suppliers have been demanding payments but we are helpless," said another employee.
As the national referral center, poor patients inflicted with infectious diseases from across the country come to hospital for treatment. Those patients who can afford the private service do not visit STIDH.
The hospital has been providing care to HIV cases, tetanus, diarrheal disease, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. HIV infected patients used to stay on for months in the hospital. The hospital said that such patients cannot even afford to buy food.
"Our employees have not gotten salary since the last four months," said Dr Prajapati, adding, "How can I ask employees to work without salary." Dr Prajapati said that he has urged the officials at the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to understand the severity of the problem.
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