People seeking health services in Khotang are deprived of basic health facilities due to the absence of health workers in over one and a half dozen health institutions in the district for a long time.
Two primary health posts, two health centres and 16 sub-health posts in the district are without heath workers.
There are no health workers in the health institutions in Bopud, Likuyapokhari, Laftang, Dikiwa, Rakhawandel, Suntale, Chhitapokhari, Devisthan, Maheshwori, Khidima, Kharpa, Sapteshwor, Baspani and Sundel for over one year, administrative chief of the District Public Health Office Dhan Kumar Shrestha said.
Patients from these VDCs are forced to seek services from health institutions in the adjoining districts of Bhojpur, Udaypur and Okhaldhunga.
Even though the primary heath posts at Chisapani and Aisenlukharka VDCs have quotas for MBBS doctors, the posts almost always remain vacant, locals complained.
Shrestha said Dr Rabindra Shrestha had been transferred to the primary health post in Aisenlukharka VDC some five years ago and the latter has never joined the office.
Health centres at Buipa VDC and Lamidanda VDC are without a health worker as assistant health workers posted in these centres, Aaita Bahadur Rai and Santosh Shah respectively, are on study leave.
"We have been deprived of basic health services," said Mani Kumar Rai of Khida-3, adding that the rural health workers are running these health institutions in the absence of seniors.
Even the Khotang district hospital is without a superintendent even though it has quotas for three MBBS doctors. In total, 75 posts of health workers are vacant in different health institutions in the district, said Shrestha. -
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