Pokhara, June 10
Staffers at Western Regional Hospital under Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences today announced agitation demanding reform programmes in the health facility.
“As per the schedule, we will tie black arm bands on duty from June 11 to 13, stage demonstration from June 14 to 16 in the first phase and declare the second phase of protest if our demands are not heeded by the deadline,” said Employee’s Union of the academy Dr Dhaka Mohan Shrestha.
They have demanded that city scan machine that has dysfunctional for long be repaired, easy supply of medicines at reasonable prices from the pharmacy of the hospital, supply of drinking water in the OPD department, expansion of bed capacity in the ICU and operation theatre department and proper sanitation management, among others.
“We feel ashamed to raise the issues that ought to be raised by the civil society members and journalists. It has been more than 10 months that the city scan machine has become dysfunctional, which has compelled patients to go to private health facilities. Likewise, it has been more than three weeks since the endoscopy machine has been inoperational, but nobody has heeded to the need to repair it,” said Shrestha.
More than 1,500 patients from low income families visit the health facility on a daily basis, according to Shrestha.
A version of this article appears in print on June 11, 2018 of The Himalayan Times.