It was a non-stop birthday party straight out of the dark humour “Carry On” movie series. Last evening, the stereo blared at full volume as staff of the 50-bed Lamjung community hospital drank like fish, danced like butterflies and clapped frenziedly in the hospital main hall while patients writhed in agony and their relatives wrung their hands in dismay.
Patients said it was no go though as the staff kept celebrating the birthday of a doctor and six other staffers that had happened to fall on the same day.
They stayed deaf to the cries of the patients and blind to the teeth-gnashing of patients’ relatives.
The hospital staff is a clutch of seasoned veterans at partying at the drop of a hat. Festivals, feasts, birthday festivities, and even minor excuses for jigging, you name it and they go for it. During their parties, drink flows by the barrel.
Deepika Gurung, a local living in the vicinity of the hospital said, “We find it difficult to sleep when the hospital staff beat drums, shout, scream and play music at full volume till the wee hours. I wonder what torture the patients undergo.” In the past, celebrations used to be held on the hospital ground. Now the main hall of the hospital building has become the venue for merrymaking.
Efforts to contact the hospital administration in this regard were in vain. A lower-level hospital staff admitted that parties were frequent in the hospital hall but added that staffers on duty do not join the celebrations. However, patients complained the staffers neglect them whenever there is a party.
Another hospital staffer said, “Drinking on hospital premises is prohibited. So is creating a din. However, most staffers flout the rules and create a ruckus till late in the night.”
Meanwhile, the parties have not been far behind the hospital staff. They
have been holding election meetings near the hospital, with mikes blaring at
full volume. -
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