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Hopitals haven for stranded patients
KATHMANDU, MAY 04 -
On Tuesday afternoon, Durga Sitaula ran from pillar to post to get an ambulance from Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, but his efforts availed him nought.
“I kept trying for two hours to get an ambulance,” said Sitaula. “There is no hope of getting one. All are booked,” he said adding, “It seems we will have to stay at the hospital if there is no ambulance available.” The ambulance was needed for Sitaula’s 88-year-old father who got discharged from hospital after a backbone operation.
Sitaula’s father is just a case in point. Hundreds of such patients and their attendants have been left stranded at hospitals and nursing homes due to the indefinite strike called by the UCPN (Maoist).
Chini Maya Moktan was forced to stay at the hospital though she was discharged. “There is no vehicles to take us home,” said Hasta Bahadur Moktan, her husband. She was admitted to the hospital a week ago.
Meanwhile, Prem Bahadur Rai, 74, from Dharan of Sunsari district has been hobbling around looking for a bed for the last four days at the hospital but doctors say there are none. “All beds at the hospital are packed,” said his son Gyan Rai. “We are staying at Jorpati currently but there are no vehicles to take us to the hospital regularly.”
“Travelling by ambulance is very expensive. But what to do, we also cannot outstay our welcome at our relatives’ place here,” said Rai.
A senior surgeon at Teaching Hospital said each day over 50 patients either return home or go to other hospitals after they are refused admittance for want of beds. “We cannot force those patients who have recovered to leave the beds as they are unable to get vehicles due to the strike,” said Dr. Kar Bir Nath Yogi, senior surgeon at Teaching Hospital.
Dr Yogi said that each day over 50 people are discharged on a regular basis from all the departments but only those who have their residences in the Capital go home.
According to Gopal Ghimire, Head Assistant at the Patient Admission Department in Teaching Hospital, on an average 500 patients have been visiting the hospital daily for the last four days.
This is not the case with just Teaching Hospital. Nearly all the other hospitals in the Capital are reeling under such problems. “Despite getting discharged, patients are clinging on to their stay in the hospital as they don’t have vehicles to go home,” said Kumar Thapa, Chairman of Alka Hospital in Pulchowk.
Posted on: 2010-05-05 08:58
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