One doctor in entire Rukum

ekantipur, 20-Mar-09
KRISHNA PRASAD GAUTAM

Primary health centers at Taksera and Kotjahari VDCs of remote Rukum district are without doctors since past 13 years.

In the absence of doctors, people from rural areas of Rukum are compelled to visit the district headquarters or other neighboring districts to receive health care. “As there is no doctor here, we are compelled to go to the district headquarters even for minor treatment,” said Raju BK of Kotjahari VDC-5.

The District Hospital too is heavily understaffed. The hospital has only one doctor, who also happens to be the only doctor in the entire district. There are four posts for doctors in Rukum, but the district has only one doctor at present.

“I've been handling administrative work as well as the health department of the hospital,” said Dr. Binod Kumar Giri.

Another doctor assigned to the District Hospital left Rukum after his two-year term ended last month, but the government is yet to fill up the vacant post. Since the establishment of the District Hospital, it has not seen a lab technician or a radiographer. In the absence of radiographer, hospital peon Amar Khadka has been conducting X-ray examinations for the past 10 years.

Dr. Giri said that the health care system in entire Rukum is in bad shape as there is a huge shortfall of staff from the hospital at the center down to health posts in the villages.