Kohalpur hospitals reopen

KOHALPUR, July 19: Emergency and out-patient services at hospitals and clinics in Kohalpur resumed on Wednesday evening. Some hospitals and clinics had halted services on Tuesday following an alleged attack on a doctor at Maa Janaki Hospital, Nepalgunj.

Nepal Doctor’s Association, Banke had enforced the strike on Tuesday demanding stern action against the culprits involved in attacking Dr Shyam Sundar Yadav of Maa Janaki Hospital. The doctors later withdrew the strike on Wednesday evening. According to Dr R K Jha, one of the members of the association, someone brutally attacked former chairperson and current member of the association Dr Yadav “with an intent to kill him”.

He further informed that the culprits even attempted to vandalize the hospital.

Earlier in the day, a patient had filed a case against Maa Janaki Hospital of Nepalgunj accusing it of negligence after losing his leg.

Narayan Prasad Bhattrai, 49, had at first reached Maa Janaki Hospital of Nepalgunj for treatment of a wound. Even after nine days of treatment, the hospital could not treat his wound and he was instead referred to Lucknow of India. Even after reaching the Indian city, doctors told him that his wound cannot be treated and instead suggested him to amputate his leg. So he was later admitted to Kathmandu-based B&B Hospital where he underwent surgery.

According Bhattarai, a resident of Kohalpur 11, Maa Janaki Hospital did not treat him properly and discharge him on time due to which his wound got worse and ultimately he lost his leg. By filing a case at police station, the victim has demanded stern action against the doctors involved and that the hospital provide him compensation.

According to Bhattarai, he spent around Rs 2 million for his treatment and he wants the hospital to compensate the amount. He further informed that there are many victims like him due to the carelessness and negligence of doctors and hospitals. The hospital lacks proper equipment for treatment and surgery of patients, he claimed.

“The hospital was not ready to discharge him on time and if we had followed their advice and stayed there longer we would have lost him too,” said Sandip Singh, a relative of the victim.

Dr Shyam Sundar Yadav of Maa Janki Hospital, however, dismissed the accusations and instead claimed that the hospital offered him the best possible service. “We had suggested them to go to Lucknow and Kathmandu on time. If he had not followed our instructions he would have lost his life too,” he said. As per the doctor, the patient had not treated his wound since five years.

Meanwhile, District Police Office chief Tek Prasad Rai said Dr Yadav has also filed a complaint and demanded security.

“We are ready to provide him security but closing the emergency services is not a wise decision at all as it might escalate the issue further,” he said.

As per the preliminary investigation by police, the doctor was not attacked at all but had been receiving serious threats from the patient’s family. On Tuesday, the police had called meetings twice between the patient, the concerned doctor and the doctors of the association to sort out the issue. However, Dr Yadav skipped both meetings. His phone remained switched off for the whole day which has further raised the controversy.