Doctors at Shaheed Dasharath Chand university accused of negligence; struggle committee raises alarms

Dhangadhi: Doctors at Shaheed Dasharath Chand Health Sciences University in Kailali have been accused of working for just an hour a day, raising serious concerns about healthcare services at the facility.

According to the Shaheed Dasharath Chand Health Sciences University Struggle Committee, doctors at the university hospital reportedly arrive at 10 am and leave by 11 am. The committee stated that it has received numerous complaints about the unavailability of doctors, which has caused distress among patients seeking treatment.

After discussions with Geta Hospital Director Pramod Yadav, the committee noted that although there have been efforts to improve services, negligence by doctors and staff remains a pressing issue. The Ministry of Health and Population had earlier committed to operating a 300-bed hospital in Geta, Godavari Municipality-5, Kailali. However, the committee warned that even the currently operational 50-bed hospital is not functioning efficiently.

Struggle Committee Coordinator Lokraj Pandey (Ago) expressed dismay over the hospital’s state, stating that only 50 beds are in use and patient flow remains low despite available equipment and photographs. He urged the hospital administration to allocate a proper budget to fully operate the 300-bed facility from the next fiscal year and to initiate preparations for launching medical education from the upcoming academic session.

“There have been complaints of patients being referred to private hospitals due to broken equipment, and of doctors only staying at the hospital for an hour,” said Pandey. “People’s representatives must come together to address why patient turnout remains low at the hospital.”

Dr. Dambar Bahadur Pal, speaking on behalf of the struggle committee, called it ironic that such a large infrastructure remains underutilized and pushed for the resumption of medical education from the current session. Dr. Nar Bahadur Mouni highlighted the failure to deliver effective services even with the presence of 30 doctors, urging an investigation into the underlying causes.

Struggle Committee Secretary Dharma Singh Kuwar emphasized the importance of strengthening the hospital, which forms the foundation of the university, and affirmed the committee’s continued pressure campaign. Member Binod Bista reported that patients often leave without treatment due to the lack of emergency services, and noted other issues such as unavailability of medicines, poor behavior by nursing staff, and overpriced food in the hospital canteen.

Another committee member, Lokendra Dhami, pointed to signs of corruption, including the transfer of the biomedical engineer just before procurement of medical supplies and the reassignment of the accounting officer.

Responding to the concerns, Hospital Director Pramod Yadav said the facility has been operating according to the plan set by the former director and assured that a new operational plan would be implemented starting Shrawan of the next fiscal year. He said programs such as health insurance and maternal-child health services are also set to launch from Shrawan. However, the hospital is currently unable to use its income due to the absence of an official hospital account.

Yadav further clarified that the appointment and dismissal of employees are beyond his jurisdiction. Regarding the removal of the biomedical engineer, he explained that the previous engineer was working on a wage basis, which is not permissible under government rules, leading to their replacement with a contract-based employee.