Manpower crunch affects health services

LAMJUNG, SEPTEMBER 9

Health services have badly been affected due to lack of manpower in Manang District Hospital.

A ventilator had reached the hospital for treatment of coronavirus patients two months ago, but the ventilator has yet to be operated.

A view of the district hospital that has been providing health services to many people of remote areas on a daily basis in Manang, on Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Photo: THT

Adequate manpower and other health equipment are needed in the health sector as the infection rate has been increasing across the district.

Unfortunately, the district has only one doctor. Corona Focal Person Dr Santosh Adhikari has been providing health service in the district. Health equipment to treat COVID patients is available, but there is no one to operate them.

It is very difficult to provide service due to lack of manpower.

Dr Adhikari has been looking after COVID and non-COV- ID patients. The ICU ward, set up two months ago with the help of Gandaki Provincial Government, also has not been brought to use.

Manang District Hospital Chief Rahamat Ansari said that the ventilator and ICU service, among others, could not be brought into operation due to lack of manpower. He said only four staffers were there in the district hospital.

Senior Assistant Health Worker Ansari, Dr Adhikari, Nurse Bina Poudel and laboratory staff Prakash Rokka work the hospital. Dr Adhikari is also serving on contract basis. The problems surfaced after a doctor was transferred to Pokhara.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 10, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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