Workforce shortage hampers service delivery in Mahakali Hospital

Kanchanpur, Oct 7: A shortage of required number of doctors has affected the service delivery in the Mahakali Hospital, Kailali. It means the hospital is not in the position of providing treatment facilities to many patients reaching the hospital. They are being referred to other areas. Due to this, patients are forced to pay high to seek treatment by visiting private health clinics in neighbouring Indian towns.

Though the hospital has a quota for 28 doctors, only two doctors: gynecologist Hari Kumar Shrestha and dermatologist Shambhu Joshi are available in the hospital at present. Remaining posts which include one dental, seven medical officers of ninth level, 16 doctors of 10th level and four of 11th level are lying vacant, said Hospital’s information officer Keshab Dutta Awasthi.

According to him, four medical doctors and two dental officers have been deputed by the Medical Mobilisation Directorate for the hospital while a doctor has been managed by the hospital management committee. The hospital has no alternative to referring patients of serious nature to other hospitals. It is also facing a shortage of human resources to handle medical equipment.