FUNGLING, JAN 09 - The District Hospital in Taplejung has ten patients under treatment as in-patients. However, these patients do not have adequate protection against the harsh cold of winter, as they are not provided quilts.
With even basic insulation lacking in the hospital, doctors and nurses fear the worst for the patients. Since the northern section of the Kanchanjunga mountain is in close proximity to this district and can be clearly viewed from there, the cold wave sweeping across the region has made life very difficult especially for patients in this hospital.
It is learnt that the hospital has some old blankets for use but most of them are worn out and cannot provide much protection during the winter months.
Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Milan Sherpa, a nurse of the hospital, said that they have only a few of these old summer blankets for use by the patients to protect themselves from the severe cold. He added that the hospital is not in a position to purchase warm quilts.
The patients of the hospital lament that the window ~ ~ anes in the rear are either broken or missing and have not been repaired for a long time now. The cold air entering the ward at night makes sleep impossible.
According to Kumari Gurung of Dokhu VDC-6, a patient admitted for severe burns to this ward of the hospital, the patients managed to endure the cold months of November and December. Since January, when the cold becomes more intense in the region, they have not been able to have sound sleep during the nights.
An Auxiliary Health Worker (AHW) also expressed his concern over the pitiful condition of the patients of the hospital. Stating that they had tried to bring the issue to the notice of the concerned departments but instead of showing a willingness to solve the problem the authorities rebuked the hospital staff and asked for clarifications.
According to information provided by Surya Man Gurung, the former president of the District Development Committee, the Taplejung District Hospital with 15-bed capacity is in a dilapidated and pitiful condition.
Shortage of manpower, insufficient electrical supply, lacking basic infrastructure, these are some of the problems that ned government’s immediate attention, according to Gurung.Posted on: 2004-01-10 02:47

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