RSS
Baitadi, June 6
Baitadi district hospital is on sickbed, literally. With effect from Monday, medical personnel have shut all but emergency services indefinitely, a day after a group painted soot on the face of Dr Gunraj Avasthi, chief of the District Health Office.
Information officer at the office, Bhuwan Joshi, said health workers shut all but emergency services at the district hospital citing lack of security. “A group has misbehaved with a doctor on duty. The shutdown of medical services will continue unless action is taken against the guilty,” Joshi said.
In protest of the misdemeanour, health workers shouted slogans in front of the district administration office on Monday.
Women and relatives of Hira Bhul (24) of Ballek, Dashrath municipality-1, had smeared soot on the face of Dr Avasthi on the charge of not providing ambulance to rush an economically-disadvantaged Bhul, a seven months’ pregnant woman with triplets, to Kailali for further treatment. The hospital had referred Bhul to Kailali, citing inability to provide her treatment.
Dr Avasthi said a group of women smeared soot on him suddenly while he was at the hospital. He said: I did nothing wrong, but they smeared soot on my face. I will seek legal action against them.
He claimed to have sent the woman to Kailali by arranging an ambulance. Dr Avasthi said: The woman was pregnant with triplets and one of them was not in normal condition.
Mohan Prasad Pokharel, DSP at the district police office, said they have detained five people involved in the incident and initiated an investigation against them.
