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🇳🇵 Nepal /Health & Science

Salyan surgeries halt forces patients to travel outward for care

From Kathmandu Post · (1d ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Surgical services at Salyan District Hospital have been halted for a week due to a shortage of doctors.
  • Patients, particularly pregnant women with complications, face difficulties accessing timely and affordable healthcare.
  • The disruption forces patients to travel to other districts, incurring significant additional costs for transport and accommodation.

Salyan District Hospital's surgical services have ground to a halt, leaving patients in a dire situation. For the past week, the hospital has been unable to perform surgeries due to a critical lack of qualified medical personnel. This disruption is particularly devastating for pregnant women facing serious complications, who are now forced into arduous and costly journeys to access essential care.

More than 100 deliveries take place at the hospital each month, with at least 10 to 12 needing surgery.

— Dr Arjun BudhamagarChief of the District Health Office, highlighting the volume of cases requiring surgery.

The situation arose after the hospital lost two key medical officers: Dr. Buddhinath Shah is undergoing treatment, and Dr. Ashim Adhikari has left for further studies. This has left the hospital without the necessary staff to conduct surgeries, a service that was established about 15 years ago primarily to support complicated deliveries and serve patients referred from across the district. Now, these referrals continue, but patients must seek care elsewhere, often in Dang, Nepalgunj, or Surkhet.

We have informed both federal and provincial authorities and requested doctors. We do not want to refer patients, but we have no option now.

— Dr Arjun BudhamagarChief of the District Health Office, explaining the hospital's efforts and lack of alternatives.

The impact on local communities is significant. Patients who once relied on the district hospital for affordable treatment are now burdened with substantially higher expenses for travel, accommodation, and medical fees in other districts. Deepak Rana, a local resident, shared the distress of a pregnant neighbor who had to travel to Surkhet, a journey that cost Rs10,000 for transport alone – a stark contrast to the free surgery that would have been available locally. This recurring problem of staffing shortages, despite the hospital's expansion to over 40 beds, highlights a systemic issue in providing consistent healthcare access in the region. Elected representatives and locals alike are calling on federal and provincial authorities to address this crisis urgently.

The journey via Kalimati took a long time, and transport alone cost Rs10,000. If the service was available here, the surgery would have been free and travel would cost much less.

— Deepak RanaLocal resident describing the financial and logistical burden on patients forced to travel for care.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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