Ailing health services

The Himalayan Times

4 July 2014

Ailing health services

 It was sad to read the news report “X-ray machine goes kaput, patients inconvenienced” (THT, 3 July, Page 5) when the government continues to talk about health and education for all by 2015. The conditions of government’s health delivery services in the rural and remote areas are very pathetic. Even the district hospitals in some of the districts are ineffectively running due to the lack of proper infrastructures, equipments, medicines and human resources.

For the treatment of some of the diseases the X-rays are essential to identify the causes. How come the treatment of some specific diseases be possible in Phidim Health Centre if its X-ray machine goes out of order. This situation had badly affected the surrounding villages. Even, the villagers had contributed to buy a generator to run the machine a year ago.

I had the opportunity to closely work with the district hospitals, Primary Health Centres, Health Posts and Sub-Health Posts which are the government’s health service outlets at the district and Village Development Committee (VDC) level. Most of these outlets in the rural areas lack proper building, equipments and health staff. Medicines that are sent to these outlets for one year hardly last six months. The right of the local people to get health services at their door steps have been grossly ignored by the government.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharjgunj, Kathmandu